Poorer People Have Fewer Teeth

The private dentists Manchester has on its books may well have noticed that poorest people in society have fewer teeth, with a new study revealing that those with lower income, higher deprivation, lower educational achievement and lower occupational class have eight fewer teeth when they reach their 70s than the richest.

According to researchers at Newcastle University, this demographic typically had the worst clinical outcomes with regards to oral health, including more gum disease, tooth decay and gaps.

Head of the Dental School at the university and lead author of the study professor Jimmy Steele CBE observed that these results are perhaps unsurprising, but it is difficult to say what factors are driving the differences between the richest and the poorest people.

“Although the younger generation have much better oral health than their parents ever did, the differences between rich and poor are very considerable and young people are particularly aware when they do not have a healthy mouth. The risk is that as health gets better overall the differences just get greater and poorer people lose out,” he remarked.

Lifestyle can have a big impact on oral health, with diet, alcohol intake and smoking all contributing to problems with our teeth and gums. A healthy diet is important for teeth as what we eat and drink can cause tooth decay, so make sure you eat lots of vegetables and fruit, as well as pasta, potatoes, rice and bread. Sources of protein like meat and fish, as well as milk and dairy foods should be included as well.