New research amongst Australian children published in JDR Clinical & Translational Research finds adolescents experiencing tooth loss had a 42% higher chance of being bullied at school.
These findings reinforce the impact of oral health on societal relations, with knock-on effects for confidence in such formative years. This also has potential implications for long-term mental health outcomes.
Speaking to Oral Health Group, senior author Ankur Singh, associate professor and chair of Lifespan Oral Health at the University of Sydney’s School of Dentistry noted, “Tooth loss isn’t only a dental issue, it’s a social one too. For teenagers, it can have significant psychological impacts at a crucial time in their development.”
Tooth loss in adolescence can occur for a number of reasons. This includes the natural process of baby teeth falling out to make way for the permanent dentition. However, dental problems such as caries development or extraction due to injury and trauma can also be problematic. Extraction may also be needed as part of a treatment plan, for example in orthodontic care.
The extraction of carious teeth is the most common reason for childhood hospital admission in England, according to a 2021 report in the British Dental Journal. Figures produced by the NHS related to diagnoses for hospital admitted patient care for 2023-24 echo this; dental caries was the most common cause for hospital admission for patients aged 5-9, and the second most prominent factor for those aged 10-14.
Socioeconomic factors can also be linked to adolescent oral health. 15-year-old children that are eligible for free school meals are more likely to report one or more oral health impacts in the previous three months, and are less likely to self-report tooth brushing twice a day, when compared to their peers who were not eligible for free school meals, according to Public Health England.
Damage to the primary dentition in adolescence can lead to further difficulties later in life; if these teeth are heavily caries affected and require extraction, patients may not know a period of their life without an extracted tooth.
The new research presents new questions for the profession, as well as those in positions to support children day-to-day, such as teachers. It raises the need to minimise tooth loss, which can be potentially supported through regular dental examinations, and high-quality guidance.
Adults could also look to support children with tooth loss to ensure bullying does not affect them, and focus on beginning conversations around mental wellbeing at a young age.
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