March 2017

Objective: To report on the oral health status and oral health behaviours of five-year-old Charedi Orthodox Jewish children attending schools in London, UK. Basic research design: Cross-sectional survey. Method: Clinical examinations mirroring the 2015 National Dental Public Health Epidemiology Programme for England for five-year-olds and a parental questionnaire on oral health behaviours. Participants: 137 five-year-olds attending Charedi Orthodox Jewish schools in Hackney, North London. Main outcome measures: Prevalence dmft>0 (%) and severity (mean dmft) of dental caries. Results: Of these children 58% had experienced dental caries (95%CI 50,67), the mean number of decayed, missing and filled teeth was 2.38 (95%CI 1.90,2.82) and 23% (95%CI 16,30) had caries affecting their incisors. Only 20% reported that their children had their teeth brushed twice a day and 16% of the children started having their teeth brushed between six months and one year of age. Conclusions: The oral health of five-year-old children in the Charedi Orthodox Jewish community is significantly worse than their counterparts across Hackney, London and England. The establishment of robust baseline data supports the local authority plan to develop targeted oral health improvement programmes tailored to address the health needs and cultural sensitivities of this community. Key words: dental caries, oral health behaviour, dental health survey, inequalities, Charedi Orthodox Jewish, London, UK