Social inequities in early childhood caries in Australia: A population-based study on statewide public dental services data

BACKGROUND: Social disadvantage leads to dental caries during childhood.

AIM: This study investigated whether dental caries occur earlier in children from households experiencing social disadvantage than those not experiencing social disadvantage.

DESIGN: The overall risk of, and relative time to, early childhood caries (ECC) according to sociodemographic characteristics in Victoria, Australia, was quantified. Records for 134 463 children in Victoria, Australia, from 2009 to 2019 were analysed. Time ratios (TR) and hazard ratios (HR) of carious lesion(s) in early childhood were estimated.

RESULTS: Compared with reference groups, Indigenous children had an adjusted TR of 0.80 (95% CI: 0.78, 0.82), children from households with languages other than English had an adjusted TR of 0.83 (95% CI: 0.82, 0.84), and dependants of concession cardholders had an adjusted TR of 0.81 (95% CI: 0.80, 0.81); therefore, 20%, 17% and 19% reduced times to the first carious lesion, respectively. The estimated HRs were 1.57 (95% CI: 1.49, 1.67) for Indigenous children, 1.46 (95% CI: 1.42, 1.50) for children from households with other languages and 1.57 (CI: 1.53, 1.60) for dependants of concession cardholders.

CONCLUSION: Preventive oral health interventions must be targeted early in children from households experiencing social disadvantage to avoid social inequities in ECC.