Alarming gap between the rich and poor in dental health

Despite parental knowledge of good dental practises, low income Australian families have significantly poorer dental health than their wealthier counterparts.

A new study by oral health specialist, Colgate, has revealed that children from low income families brush their teeth less often, visit the dentist much less frequently and have substantially more fillings due to tooth decay than those from more affluent households.

Nearly one third (31%) of children from low income families only visit their dentist once every two to three years or even less often, even though the vast majority of parents believe their offspring should go at least once a year.

"It is very worrying that while most Australian children have between one and two fillings, those from families struggling to make ends meet frequently have between three and five," said Dr Soni Stephen, Head of Paediatric Dentistry at Sydney Dental Hospital.

"Good dental health and a sparkling smile is every Australian's birth-right in the 21st Century and the foundations are laid with the first milk-teeth. We need to make sure children are getting proper dental education and encouragement to look after their teeth and gums and that their parents are leading by example in the bathroom," he said.

Mission Australia Spokesperson Kay Elson said the findings back up what the organisation comes face to face with every day when providing support and services to thousands of disadvantaged Australians.

"Homeless and disadvantaged men, women and children often have poor oral health due to a lack of resources or appropriate services to address their needs. Additionally, their lifestyle often contributes to poor habits which impact on their ongoing dental health.

"Mission Australia, in partnership with South East Health, runs a Special Needs Dental Clinic to ensure that disadvantaged people in the area can access professional dental assistance and education in caring for their teeth.

"By addressing dental needs, the self esteem of our clients improves, their chance of gaining employment increases and their overall health improves. Dental health is an important factor in our client's wellbeing", Ms Elson said.

Coinciding with Dental Awareness Month in August, the Colgate study found that less than a quarter (23.5%) of children from families with an annual income less than $30,000 get a six-monthly dental check-up compared to more than a third (36%) of children from households with an annual income of $50,000 or more.

And tooth decay is often the precursor to a trip to the dentist for those less well off. Almost half (46%) of children from families with an annual income less than $20,000 received fillings during their last visit compared to only a quarter (24%) of those from higher income families.

Just on two thirds of children from families with an income less than $20,000 a year have at least three fillings compared to only one third of those from families with an income of $40,000 or more.

The study also revealed that it is not just children from low income families who are missing out on good dental health - their parents also brush their teeth and see their dentist much less often than those on higher incomes.

One in four parents (43%) from households with a yearly income below $20,000 clean their teeth just once a day or less compared to three quarters (74%) of those earning $70,000 or more who brush at least twice daily. Only 42% of those with a household income lower than $50,000 go to the dentist at least once a year while 58% of those earning more have an annual or more frequent check-up.

In response to these findings, Colgate will donate over 45,000 tubes of toothpaste along with oral health care information nationally, to Mission Australia, The Smith Family and Wesley Mission. This represents an investment of over $200,000.

"By maintaining good oral health habits, costly health issues can be prevented," said Nicole Haj, Corporate Affairs Manager at Colgate.