Tooth Decay: Well-Off Kids More Likely to Experience Dental Complication

A systematic review recently suggested that corrosive impacts, specifically tooth decay, juices, energy drinks, and soda, have eaten away at some of the benefits wealth and education offer.

Even with regular meetings with the dentist, ScienceAlert reported, children are more likely to suffer from tooth decay, as indicated in the first meta-analysis of its kind.

Across over 60 studies from 30 countries, including over 60,000 people aged six to 79, researchers discovered an association between socioeconomic status and tooth wear.

Among adolescents attending private school and whose parents have higher educational attainment, wage, tooth wear seem to be considerably worse.

Link to Dietary Habits

That might appear odd at first, specifically since teenagers from wealthier families can have access to regular dental care, although given how closely diet is linked to socioeconomic status, it certainly makes sense.

According to Khaled Ahmed, researching dentistry and oral health at the Australia-based Griffith University, fizzy beverages, energy drinks, and packaged juices are in several countries available to the affluent. And ins spite of a focus on sugar, like the implementation of the sugar tax in the United Kingdom, the diet, low-sugar, or sugar-free substitutes stay acidic.

He added that such dietary habits might affect children of all socioeconomic levels to erosive risk, although those coming from a "high socioeconomic" place may be more often exposed to their counterparts because of increased access as an outcome of affluence in low- and middle-income nations.

Who Are Likely to Experience Tooth Wear?

Certainly, the vast majority of people are experiencing some tooth wear level throughout their lives, although the rate at which teeth wear down and chip away is reliant on an entire bunch of factors that can retreat and flow with both age and time.

Some kids with low socioeconomic status, for example, might not show tooth wear at first, although as they grow older and continue using their teeth every day, tooth wear might turn out to be a problem.

In countries where acidic foods such as citrus, baobab, tamarind, and hibiscus are often consumed, for instance, tooth wear appears to be considerably worse. Yet, diet is not the only factor at play.

In the study published in the Journal of Dentistry, the study authors showed that adult individuals with higher educational attainment were less likely to have pathological tooth wear over time.

Not only is the said bracket of the population inclined to eat healthier, they generally maintain better oral hygiene practices.

Other Health Issues

Other than dental complications, more affluent people are less likely to experience other health problems such as reflux disorder and diabetes, which can complicate further dental hygiene and care.

Ahmed explained that adults with lower socioeconomic status were more likely to wear teeth because of poor diet, existing medical conditions like acid reflux, eating disorders or stress and depression, and limited access to dental care.

He added that wealthier adult individuals have a lower risk and improved access to dental treatment, leading to early identification and intervention.

Related information about tooth decay is shown on Osmosis's YouTube video below:

Check out more news and information on Oral Health Care in Science Times.