Evolution of oral health among younger generations and its possible effects on adult populations: demonstrated by longitudinal data from twelve affluent nations
- Journal of Dental Health, Oral Disorders & Therapy
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Rüdiger Saekel
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Abstract
Objective: The study aims to examine the impact of consistent dental preventive programmes during childhood and adolescence on the oral health of adult populations in twelve affluent nations. Methods: The research utilises existing longitudinal epidemiological data, primarily sourced from representative national surveys whenever feasible. Results: The lowest increases in DMFT during adolescence and middle-age, a period of 28 years, have been realised in Korea, Sweden, and Spain, with increments of 3.7, 5.5 and 6.8, respectively. These figures seem to indicate that well-established preventive measures, oral hygiene habits and regular dental check-ups during youth are maintained into middle-age in these countries. However, this assertion holds true only for Sweden, as Korea and Spain initiated extensive preventive efforts in their youth only after the year 2000. An analysis of the single DMFT components reveals that the low D-values, minor M-values, and high F-values observed in middle-aged individuals from Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Japan, Switzerland and Korea, reflect highly effective dental care systems not only in Sweden but also in these other nations. In contrast, Germany, Great Britain, Australia, Spain and Portugal exhibit lower effectiveness in their dental systems, as preventive strategies were introduced significantly later. The disparities in oral health between the two categories of countries (those with early versus late preventive initiatives) become more pronounced in older age groups. Conclusion: Comprehensive dental initiatives targeting youth, which commenced in the 1960s and early 1970s, have shown a beneficial effect on oral health that extends into adulthood and later life in countries such as Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Switzerland. Conversely, nations that implemented regular preventive programmes later, during the 1980s and 1990s or thereafter, have only observed positive outcomes among the middleaged population, with improvements subsequently leveling off, as seen in Great Britain, Germany, Korea, New Zealand, Portugal, and Spain. Therefore, it is advisable that these countries consider implementing preventive strategies for young adults to strengthen the oral health practices established in their formative years.
Keywords
dental preventive programmes, oral health, childhood and adolescence, DMFT (decayed, missing, filled teeth), effective dental care systems, national surveys, youth dental initiatives, oral health outcomes, middle-age oral health