Child poverty casts 'a long shadow' on Kiwi oral health, with effects shown in adulthood

The effects of child poverty can "cast a long shadow" into a person's oral health in adulthood, studies have found. 

"If you have a high rate of decay as a child and are born into a family with low-income parents, this will affect your risk of having poor dental health right through your life, not just during childhood," Otago University's Associate Professor Jonathan Broadbent said. 

It comes after the Dunedin Study that looked into the oral health of 1,000 people born in Dunedin between April 1972 and March 1973, and analysed the influence their childhood had on their oral health . 

More dental decay was found in children under 18 that came from socio-economically disadvantaged families, "but those who needed dental care mostly got it due to New Zealand’s universal dental health care for children and adolescents", Associate Professor Broadbent said. 

However, once the government-funded dental care stopped at age 18, untreated decay in young people from low socio-economic families rose dramatically.

"By the time they were 26, the average number of teeth with untreated decay among young people from socio-economically disadvantaged families was five times greater than it had been at age 18."

In addition, by the age of 38, those from disadvantaged families on average had six times the amount of teeth lost, than those born into well-off families. 

"Socio-economic differences in tooth decay rates don't explain socio-economic inequality in dental health alone, because well-off people who eat too much sugar and have poor oral hygiene have a high rate of tooth decay too," Associate Professor Broadbent said. 

Otago University researchers previously found some of the reasons why those from disadvantaged backgrounds had dental problems as adults including beliefs passed down from parents, and less likelihood of regular dental check-ups. 

Associate Professor Broadbent said dental policies like a sugary drink tax, and expansion of state dental care and preventative adult dental care "deserve to be given a chance" to improve the oral health of New Zealanders.