Children’s Oral Health Has Improved In Wales, Research Shows
New research has confirmed that standards of oral health among Welsh children have improved significantly.
Figures from a study carried out by researchers at Cardiff University suggest that there has been a 12 percent reduction in the number of 5 year olds suffering from dental decay since 2008. This marks the most significant improvement on record. The study also revealed that fewer teeth were affected in many children who had decay.
The Welsh government attributed the improvements to the launch of the Designed to Smile campaign, which has been running for seven years. The national programme is designed to educate parents and children about the importance of oral health. The aim is to encourage children to adopt good oral health habits from an early age. In addition to providing parents with information and access to educational sessions, the Designed to Smile scheme also promotes supervised brushing schemes in schools and nurseries. Currently, more than 91,000 children are participating in the programme.
This report from Cardiff University suggested a significant national improvement and confirmed that there was no increase in any gaps between affluent and disadvantaged areas. The latest findings provide a positive contrast to those recorded in 2007, when there was a clear difference in standards of oral health among children from wealthier and less affluent regions.
Mark Darkeford, health minister, said the findings were positive, especially as standards are improving across the board. The government will continue to support oral health schemes in a bid to oversee continued improvement.
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