Dentistry News | Dental Jobs | Dentist Forum | CPD Education
Dental news |
 |
RSS Feed | View by: Most Recent | Most Popular | Most Discussed |
Tory U-turn on school dental screening plan
5th Dec 2011
Dental screening checks will not be re-introduced in schools as they are ‘ineffective' at improving oral health, the government has said.
Department of Health guidelines published in 2007 removed the obligation on primary care trusts to provide dental screening to school children.
But before the 2010 election the Tories promised every five year old in the country would get a free dental check-up.
In addition, children would be taught how to brush their teeth properly and warned of the dangers of eating too many sweets and drinking sugary drinks.
Then shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley said around 680,000 children would benefit from the £17 million scheme, aimed at combating the decline in pupils' dental health.
But, on questioning from MPs, Conservative health minister Simon Burns said: ‘We are committed to improving the oral health of school children but have decided against the reintroduction of school screening checks.
‘In 2006, the National Screening Committee (NSC) advised that the routine dental screening of children in primary schools was ineffective in improving children's oral health. The NSC found that children who were identified as requiring treatment were not accessing a general dental practice where it could be provided.'
Labour's shadow health secretary Andy Burnham added: ‘This is the latest in a long line of NHS broken promises from the prime minister.
‘David Cameron made the pledge in opposition to show the Tories had changed, but his failure to keep his word yet again goes to the heart of his personal credibility.'
But the British Dental Association welcomed the coalition's position. Dr Peter Bateman, chair of the BDA's Salaried Dentists Committee, said: ‘We are pleased to see the Department of Health restate its commitment not to introduce school-based dental screening. Dentists know that such screening does not help to reduce oral health inequalities, and early in the passage of the Health and Social Care Bill the BDA campaigned for this ineffective measure to be set aside.
‘Far more effective are targeted schemes such as Manchester Smiles and Childsmile that seek to engage the child population with intervention and education. It is these approaches that government and commissioners must focus on developing further.'
Author
Anika Bourley
Parliamentary Correspondent
Rate this story
