BDA bites back at dental inequalities

The British Dental Association has claimed that there is a growing gap between people with good oral health and bad oral health in the UK.

According to a policy published on Saturday 7 October 2009, the association (BDA) has stated that people from low-income families suffer with poorer oral health.

The Oral Health Inequalities Policy calls for greater steps to educate people about preventative care and a more integrated approach to treating dental problems from service providers.

The BDA also stressed that certain patients’ dental care should be made a priority these groups include the elderly, people with disabilities and people in prison.

Professor Damien Walmsley, BDA scientific adviser, said in the last 30 years oral health in the UK had significantly improved but claimed that there is still a huge disparity that went hand-in-hand with social deprivation, which was completely unacceptable.

He added that various schemes were working hard to remedy the situation but said that more work needed to be done. The prof made the point that the support of dentists was crucial.

Tobacco and alcohol were highlighted as major factors in dental inequalities and were recognised as increasing the risks of oral cancer.

The policy said that more counselling should be provided to patients to educate them of the dangers these products.