Does dental health education affect inequalities in dental health?

The aim of the study was to evaluate the Lothian 1991 dental health campaigns on 5-year-old schoolchildren's oral hygiene and gingival health in relation to deprivation. A stratified random sample of 486 children was selected from 92 primary schools in the city of Edinburgh. Clinical examinations took place immediately before (T1), a month after (T2) and 4 months after the campaign (T3). A total of 342 (70 per cent) children received all 3 examinations. Oral hygiene and gingival health were examined using a modified Silness and Löe and the Ainamo and Bay Index. Toothbrushes and take-home materials were distributed to all children. Dental officers provided 20 minute information sessions for each class and encouraged teachers to continue dental health activities within the classes. For the purpose of the evaluation, schools were categorised as deprived and non-deprived according to established social indicators. The results showed a statistically significant improvement in plaque scores at T2 and T3 (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Also gingival health improved at T2 and T3 (P < 0.01, P = 0.001). However, the improvements took place only in the non-deprived schools. Thirty-one per cent of children in non-deprived schools and 18 per cent in deprived schools had a total plaque score of 0 at T1 and 41 per cent and 19 per cent respectively at T3. The differences in gingival health scores between deprived and non-deprived schools were statistically significant at T2 and T3 but not at T1. The campaign was therefore successful when evaluating the population as a whole.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)