Alcohol and Relevance in Dentistry - Impact of Alcohol on UK Population Health - Part 1

Alcohol and its Relevance in Dentistry

• The impact of alcohol on the UK population's health is a significant public health concern.
• Approximately 10.8 million adults in England drink at levels that pose a risk to their health (1 in 5 women and 1 in 3 men).
• Alcohol misuse in the UK has significant health, social, and economic consequences, estimated at £21-£52 billion annually.
• Over 1 million hospital admissions are alcohol-related each year.
• 7,544 alcohol-specific deaths occurred in the UK in 2019.

GDC Learning Outcomes

• Dental professionals should recognise psychological and sociological factors impacting poor oral health.
• They should understand that alcohol misuse impacts general and oral health.
• The importance of conducting a thorough oral examination and recognising patient reported oral health status changes needs to be understood.
• Referrals to other healthcare professionals may be appropriate for follow up care concerning the patient health status.
• Provide accurate, appropriate, and sensitive advice related to substances (e.g., alcohol, tobacco), health risks, and disease courses.
• Deliver appropriate patient-centred care.

Intended Learning Outcomes

• Outline the relevance of alcohol consumption and its health impact on the UK population.
• Demonstrate the role of dental care professionals in delivering general health messages.
• Employ screening toolkits to screen patients for alcohol use.
• Provide relevant and appropriate advice to patients.
• Discuss the effect of alcohol on oral and general health.

Assessment

• Formative: Unseen cases, class discussion, clinical activity
• Summative: Unseen cases, case presentations

Health Messages

• Health messages are available in the infographic, focusing on preventing type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents, stopping smoking.
• Awareness campaign for testicular cancer was also identified.

Alcohol Statistics

• 10.8 million adults in England are drinking at levels that pose a risk to their health (1 in 5 women and 1 in 3 men).
• Alcohol misuse is a significant public health problem.
• Health, social, and economic consequences of alcohol in the UK are estimated between £21 and £52 billion annually.

Government Policies

• The 1997-2001 Labour Government published a Public Health White Paper, "Saving Lives: Our Healthier Nation."
• In March 2004 the government published an Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England.
• June 2007 was a key step in addressing the safe, sensible, and social aspects of the nation's alcohol use.
• In 2012, the Coalition Government developed an Alcohol Strategy.
• Updated alcohol guidelines for the first time since 1995.

Alcohol-related hospital activity and treatment

• Hospital admissions related to alcohol are high in specific regions of the UK.
• Alcohol-specific conditions led to 347,761 hospital admissions in England during 2019/20 (approximately 2% of all admissions).
• Regional variations in hospital admissions exist. Top 10 and bottom 10 rates were identified.

Alcohol Consumption in Children

• Child alcohol consumption trends, including data on the type of alcohol.
• Proportion of children who consumed alcohol.
• Types of alcohol consumed (beer/cider, shandy, wines, spirits).

Alcohol-specific deaths

• Alcohol-related deaths ranged from under 8 to over 16 deaths per 100,000 population in 2017-19 in England.
• Alcohol-specific deaths by cause, 2019 shows breakdown among various types of death (e.g., alcoholic liver disease, poisoning, cardiomyopathy, gastritis).

International Comparison & Data

• Alcohol-attributable fractions (AAFs) vary across different WHO regions.
• WHO regional data on alcohol-attributable fractions and associated mortality information was identified.
• Data sources for alcohol-related statistics.
• Resources were identified for alcohol strategies and data from the NDTS, WHO, GOV.UK, and research briefings.
• Relevant websites to obtain further information on the topic presented.

Where Do Dental Professionals Fit?

• Dental professionals play a key role in patient impact, asking questions, providing informed advice, and interventions to address alcohol misuse that impacts both the patient's oral and general health.