Metrics details. Although oral health has improved remarkably in recent decades, not all populations have benefited equally. Ethnic identity, and in particular visible minority status, has been identified as an important risk factor for poor oral health. Canadian research on ethnic disparities in oral health is extremely limited. The aim of this study was to examine ethnic disparities in oral health outcomes and to assess the extent to which ethnic disparities could be accounted for by demographic, socioeconomic and caries-related behavioral factors, among a population-based sample of grade 1 and 2 schoolchildren age range: years in Alberta, Canada.
A dental survey administered during included a mouth examination and parent questionnaire. We used multivariable regression analysis to examine ethnic disparities in oral health, adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic and caries-related behavioral variables.
Most visible minority groups, particularly Filipino and Arab, as well as Indigenous children, were more likely to have worse oral health than White populations. In particular, Filipino children had an almost 5-fold higher odds of having severe untreated dental problems 2 or more teeth with untreated caries than White children. Adjustment for demographic, socioeconomic, and caries-related behavior variables attenuated but did not eliminate ethnic disparities in oral health, with the exception of Latin American children whose outcomes did not differ significantly from White populations after adjustment.
Significant ethnic disparities in oral health exist in Alberta, Canada, even when adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic and caries-related behavioral factors, with Filipino, Arab, and Indigenous children being the most affected. Peer Review reports. Although dental caries, also known as cavities or tooth decay, is largely preventable, it remains the preeminent oral disease of childhood and adolescence [ 1 ]. In recent decades, remarkable progress has been made in improving oral health; however, not all populations have benefited equally.
Canadians from lower income families have almost two times worse dental health outcomes compared to higher income Canadians [ 7 ]. One important contributor to poor dental health among socially disadvantaged populations in Canada is limited access to dental care.
