Put together by the island’s public health directorate, the Children’s Oral Health Report looked at data from reception and year one children, including a separate survey of five-year-olds.
The data showed that more than a quarter (26.6%) of children aged five had decayed, missing or filled teeth. This is around 3% more than the data recorded for UK five-year-olds.
The report also found that the Isle of Man has ‘a significantly higher level of incisor decay than other areas of England’. In addition, children’s oral health does ‘not appear to be improving’, and further work is ‘absolutely necessary’ to prevent it worsening, according to the report.
This comes after the reintroduction of a supervised toothbrushing scheme for early years children, the Smile of Mann programme, over 12 months ago. The programme has since been expanded to include primary schools and specialist provision centres, and to offer fluoride varnish applications for all primary school children.
‘Key step forward’
The Smile of Mann programme forms part of the island’s oral health strategy for children 2021-2026.
Deputy director of public health Dr Ross Keat said: ‘We know that tooth decay is preventable and by delivering effective prevention measures we can make a real difference.
‘The recent expansion of the Smile of Mann programme is a key step forward and we are actively exploring additional ways to improve oral health such as offering fluoride varnish to primary school children.
‘Implemented properly an expanded preventative programme will lower the need for children to have treatment with a dentist, alongside reducing associated loss of confidence, infection, disrupted sleeping and eating, and absences at school.’
The oral health strategy followed reports that just one of the island’s dental practices had around 780 children waiting to be registered.
On the programme’s expansion, a government spokesperson said: ‘This could prevent approximately 130 children going on to develop tooth decay every year, reducing the burden on families and health services.’ She also added that it would reduce the number of children needed general anaesthetic for tooth extractions.
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