More than Just Brushing: A Study of the Socioeconomic Impacts on Oral Health in Kindergarten Students

Abstract

Social determinants have been suggested as playing a role in the oral health status of kindergarten students. This research project examines the relationship between social factors (such as income, education, housing security, and family composition) and oral health indices (such as decayed, missing, extracted teeth (deft), debris, gingivitis, and decay type) in Brant County. The data collected by the Brant County Health Unit during 2011 and dissemination area data from the 2006 Canadian Census was used for this project. A semi-ecological analysis was performed using correlation, ANOVA, and Tukey post-hoc statistical tests. Overall, there was a significant correlation between high-risk demographic factors and high-risk oral health scores. In particular, housing related factors exhibited a significant increase between caries free and high caries groups, suggesting that housing related factors have an important impact on oral health. Furthermore, an increase in percentage of households receiving government transfers in higher decay groups suggests that access to dental insurance is not the only factor impacting of oral health, as almost all government transfer programs include a dental coverage component. These results suggest that dental programs should be targeted at areas of Brant County with high rates of families spending more than 30% of their income on housing, in addition to lower income areas. Furthermore, the findings suggest that the focus placed on the utilisation of care should be equal to that placed on access to care.