Ethnic differences in treatment preferences among adults in East London

Sanober Naz, Eduardo Bernabe, Wagner Marcenes, Elsa Karina Delgado-Angulo*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

Aim To explore ethnic differences in treatment preferences among adults. Methods A sample of 1,764 adults from ten ethnic groups were recruited from the adult population in Outer North East London using stratified multistage random sampling. Treatment preferences for a front tooth, a back tooth and an aching back tooth were collected via questionnaires. Ethnic differences in treatment preferences were assessed in regression models adjusting for demographic characteristics, socioeconomic indicators, dental visiting behaviour and clinical dental status. Results Ethnic differences in treatment preferences were observed, albeit only for back not front teeth. Compared to White British, Black African (odds ratio: 0.85; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.74-0.97), Caribbean (0.71; 95% CI: 0.51-0.98) and Other (0.73; 95% CI: 0.61-0.87) were less likely to preserve a back tooth. If the back tooth was aching, Black Others were still less likely (0.82; 95% CI: 0.71-0.93) to opt for restorative than surgical treatment. On the contrary, Bangladeshi were more likely (1.14; 95% CI: 1.06-1.22) to preserve a painful back tooth than White British. Conclusion Differences in treatment preferences were found among ethnic groups, suggesting that cultural background might influence the choices made and the value placed on dental extractions versus restorative treatment.

Original languageEnglish
JournalBritish Dental Journal
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 11 Feb 2021

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