Public Health and Dental Caries in Young Children in Deprived Communities in Scotland

Dental caries is the most prevalent disease worldwide, and is caused by a complex interaction of tooth susceptibility, nutrition and the oral environment. In young children it can have a major impact on their quality of life, and is the main reason why Scottish children are admitted to hospital. There have been dramatic improvements in Scottish children’s oral health. This has been enabled through the introduction of Childsmile, the national oral health programme for Scottish children. Nevertheless, significant challenges exist in reducing oral health inequalities. This paper calls for a greater emphasis on the social determinants of health to ensure that all Scottish children have the benefit of good oral health.