Northern Ireland
Dental health
Key points
- Oral health shows a similar pattern of additional disadvantage for children from deprived backgrounds compared with others. Deprived five-year-olds had, on average, three missing, decayed or filled teeth compared with two for other five-year-olds. The difference is similar at age 15, with an average of five missing, decayed or filled teeth among deprived children compared with four among other children.
Graph 1: By deprivation
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Definitions and data sources
The graph compares the dental health of children whose parents are in receipt of means-tested benefits compared with other children, with the data show separately for 5-year-olds and 15-year-olds. In each case, it shows the average number of missing, decayed or filled teeth.
The data source is a one-off report entitled Children's oral health In Northern Ireland, published in 2002 by the Oral Health Service Research Centre at the University of Cork, and with the data obtained via the 2004 publication Equality and inequalities in health and social care in Northern Ireland published by DHSSPS.
External links
See the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety's site on health inequalities.