Committee raises concerns over dental strategy
A committee set up to oversee dental services on the Isle of Man has raised concerns over oral health strategy on the island.
The Department of Health began a five year consultation on oral health services in September last year and a draft strategy revealed that standards of oral health were amongst the worst in the North West of England, an area which is one of the worst in the whole of the UK.
The draft strategy showed that schoolchildren on the Isle of Man have an average of 2.5 decayed, missing or filled teeth by the age of 5 years old; the report also revealed that many children have untreated decay in their adult teeth.
The Health Services Consultative Committee criticised the strategy, saying that it lacked ambition and failed to inform people living on the island that standards of oral health are very poor. The committee was also concerned that some of the initiatives and proposals were outdated and that aspirations were low, with a target of comparing with other regions in the North West, which has a reputation for poor standards of oral health
The HCCC was launched in 2001 to oversee health services and consult on health-related issues with the Department of Health. The committee is made up of six medical professionals and six lay people.
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