Oral health of five-year-olds to be assessed this spring

Survey has previously found higher level of tooth decay on Island than in UK

The oral health needs of children will be assessed this spring as part of an Island-wide survey of five-year-olds in local schools.

Parents or carers will receive a letter and consent form ahead of the bi-annual checks. 

The last survey found youngsters on the Island have higher levels of tooth decay than the worst areas of the UK.

Public Health will be hoping the results of the latest survey will act as a benchmark for future work to improve oral health and help plan dental services.

Cabinet Office Minister David Ashford says that with the supervised toothbrushing programme well-established in many local nurseries, continued examination is important to help identify any long-term trends and measure the success of the programme over time.

He's urging parents to complete the consent forms when they receive them.