• C M Jones, K Woods, and G O Taylor.
• North West Dental Public Health Resource Centre, Wesham Park Hospital, Preston.
• Health Bull (Edinb). 1997 Jan 1; 55 (1): 11-5.

ObjectivesTo quantify the association between dental decay in Scottish Schoolchildren & social deprivation as measured by the Carstairs Index from the 1991 census.DesignAn ecological study using data from the Scottish Health Boards Dental Epidemiology Programme and The Public Health Common Data set.SettingScottish Health Boards from 1992-3 to 1994-5.SubjectsRandom samples of 5,920 five-year-olds, 5,344 12-year-olds and 6,007 14-year-olds across the 15 Health Boards in Scotland.ResultsPositive correlations were demonstrated in all age groups; 12-year-olds (r = 0.72) in 1992-3, 5-year-olds (r = 0.8) in 1993-4 and 14-year-olds (r = 0.55) in 1994-5. Dental decay in all age groups was positively and significantly associated with deprivation as measured by the Carstairs index.ConclusionTooth decay was confirmed as a disease associated with social deprivation in Scotland. The increasing polarisation of decay to socio-economically deprived groups of the population, suggests a 'whole population' approach such as water fluoridation would prevent tooth decay in these deprived groups most effectively. Nevertheless all evidence-based interventions should be used to try to narrow the "Dental Health Divide' by improving the dental health of deprived individuals.

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