As might be expected, the researchers found strong links between levels of education and household income and oral health in both countries. That is, the more educated and wealthier had better oral health. But the disparities were much greater in the United States.

The researchers said there could be several reasons that may explain the differences between the two countries. One theory they had was that perhaps it might be due to the more diverse ethnic composition of the population in the United States, but their analysis showed this was not the case. Other possibilities may include the fact that dental services in the United States are provided privately and can be pricey and that they are part of the nationalized health-care system in Britain; or that Americans may have riskier behaviors that impact oral health such as smoking or consuming higher amounts of sugars.