Why is high quality research to improve oral and oral health care delivery important?
- One in every 700 children is born with cleft palate or cleft lip and palate
- Oral disease in children and adults is higher among poor and disadvantaged population groups.
- Risk factors for oral diseases include an unhealthy diet, tobacco use, harmful alcohol use and poor oral hygiene, and social determinants.
- Oral healthcare costs the Scottish Government over £400m every year
- Oral health improvement is a key national objective
- Oral health is recognised as a sensitive measure of inequalities in general health