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Successive national oral health surveys have revealed very high levels of dental decay in young children in Scotland, with the most disadvantaged communities commonly demonstrating the highest levels of decay.  By the age of 3, over 60% of children from areas of deprivation have dental disease, by age 5, that figure rises to over 56% of all Scottish children and by the time they are 14, 68% of children have suffered from a dental cavity in their adult teeth.

Surveys in the West of Scotland have consistently shown high levels of dental decay in very young children. When consumption of sugar is high, decay begins, almost as soon as teeth erupt into the mouth - resulting in children as young as 3 regularly needing extractions for infected and abscessed teeth.

“Nursing” caries (decay seen in the front teeth of infants), is a particular problem in very young children. Principally, this is related to the use of sugared drinks in baby bottles and the use of sugar products with comforters (dummies). To help tackle this, targeting prevention and treatment services at pre-school children has begun across Scotland and with over 38,000 extra registrations with family dentists, including 25,000 aged 2 and under since 1996.

To achieve sustainable oral health in children requires co-operation and partnership across Scottish society.  A range of measures are being introduced to ensure that oral health is prioritised and is integral to the health improvement agenda in Scotland.

The 1998 Adult Dental Health Survey revealed that: the average adult aged between 35 and 44 years of age had lost 8 adult teeth and had 10 teeth filled and 56% of Scottish adults over 65 years had no teeth.

Over the past 30 years, oral health improvement has been most dramatic in adults. Dental decay has been less prevalent and loss of teeth through gum disease has also decreased. One million more Scottish adults now have some natural teeth compared to 1972.   In 1972, 44% of adults over the age of 16 had lost all their teeth and by 1998 the average adult had, by middle age (35-44), still lost seven adult teeth and had 11 teeth filled.

Improvements have been achieved through more positive attitudes to prevention and improved dental services.  The main oral disease in adults continues to be dental decay, although gum disease starts to become a more significant problem after middle age.  The lesson here is that good habits, when we are young, will help ensure healthy teeth when we are older.

Community dental services and health promotion staff are involved in a wide variety of initiatives to improve oral health.  Toothbrushing schemes, healthy eating activities, and encouraging parents to register their children with a dental practice are the core elements of these programmes.

Targets to improve oral health by 2010

Children

Adults

Oral Cancer