BackgroundObesity and caries are common conditions in childhood and can have significant implications on children’s wellbeing. Evidence into their association remains conflicting. Furthermore, studies examining the ssociation between obesity and caries commonly focus on individual-level determinants. The present study aimed to examine the association between obesity and caries in young English children and to determine the impact of deprivation and area-level characteristics on the distribution of the two conditions.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study among children in Plymouth city aged four-to-six years. Anthropometric measurements included weight and height (converted to Body Mass Index centiles and z-scores), and waist circumference. Caries was assessed by using the sum of the number of teeth that were decayed, missing or filled. A questionnaire was used to obtain information on children’s demographic characteristics, oral hygiene, and dietary habits. The impact of deprivation on anthropometric variables and caries was determined using Linear and Poisson regression models, respectively. Multiple logistic regression was used to assess the association between different anthropometric measures and caries. Logistic regression models were also used to examine the impact of several demographic characteristics and health behaviours on the presence of obesity and caries.ResultsThe total sample included 347 children aged 5.10 ± 0.31 (mean ± SD). Deprivation had a significant impact on caries and BMI z-scores (p < 0.05). Neither BMI- nor waist circumference z-scores were shown to be significantly associated with dental caries. Among the neighbourhood characteristics examined, the percentage of people dependent on benefits was found to have a significant impact on caries rates (p < 0.05). Household’s total annual income was inversely related to caries risk and parental educational level affected children’s tooth brushing frequency.ConclusionsNo associations between any measure of obesity and caries were found. However, deprivation affected both obesity and caries, thus highlighting the need to prioritise disadvantaged children in future prevention programmes.

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Community engagement, defined as the process of getting communities involved in decisions that affect them (NICE, 2008), is paramount to the development and governance of services and activities that promote health and target inequalities (Buck, Baylis, Dougall, & Robertson, 2018; NICE, 2008). The inter-professional engagement module is an integral part of the curriculum of Peninsula Dental School, University of Plymouth, United Kingdom. It enables second-year undergraduate dental and dental therapy and hygiene students to develop and deliver an oral health intervention targeted at disadvantaged groups in the community. These groups commonly experience higher levels of dental disease (Public Health England, 2018; Office of the Director of Public Health, Plymouth City Council, 2018). As part of this module, we, a second-year group of undergraduate dental students, worked alongside the Family Intensive Intervention Project (FIIP) and its beneficiaries to improve vulnerable families’ awareness of oral and general health, and to break down barriers toward accessing dental care. FIIP provides holistic support to families with complex needs who may have difficulties with issues such as substance misuse, mental health and evidence of neglectful parenting (W. Kirby, personal communication, 2018).

An insight into the work of UK dental volunteers in the Philippines and interview with volunteer Ruth Potterton, a dental hygienist and therapist.