A new plan to improve oral health and tackle tooth decay and mouth diseases in Bath and North East Somerset and the surrounding areas is being consulted on over the next month.
The four authorities in the West of England – Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol City, South Gloucestershire, and North Somerset Councils – have worked together on the plan and are asking for the public’s views.
Designed to improve the oral health of people living in the region, the plan looks at how this can be achieved from childhood through to old age.
Councillor Vic Pritchard (Conservative, Chew Valley South), Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care & Health, said: “It is really important that we have a good plan in place to help our residents to improve their oral health.
“We are looking to do this through a number of ways with a particular focus on reducing inequalities, including promoting healthy eating and training frontline staff who deal with children, the elderly and vulnerable people to help them to improve their oral hygiene.
“This is an issue that affects all of us and I urge everyone to get involved with the consultation and let us know what is important to you.”
Recent Public Health England (PHE) oral health studies have shown encouraging results for the district, with a survey in 2014/15 finding that 85 per cent of five-year-old children in Bath and North East Somerset had no decayed, missing or filled teeth, which is significantly higher than the average of 75.2% for England.
However, PHE also reports that nearly all cases of dental caries are avoidable and that there is a strong link between deprivation and poor oral health across the West of England, with children living in the most deprived wards being much more likely to have three or more decayed or missing teeth by the age of five compared with children living in the least deprived wards.
Other risk factors include poor tooth brushing, eating sugary foods and not enough use of fluoride in cleaning teeth.
Many common health problems are linked to poor oral health, including obesity due to unhealthy diet, and tobacco and alcohol consumption also increase the risk of gum disease and oral cancer.
Skipping regular dentist appointments also contributes to poor dental health and PHE research in 2015 showed that only 49% of adults in Bath and North East Somerset had visited an NHS dentist in the past two years. However this was significantly higher in children at 74%.
The plan currently being consulted on outlines five key ways to improve oral health:
- Reducing sugar intake by promoting healthier food and drink choices.
- Training carers and frontline staff in schools and care homes to help people to improve oral hygiene.
- Promoting the use of fluoride toothpaste, particularly to young children.
- Increasing early detection and treatment by encouraging dentist visits and free check-ups.
- Reducing inequalities by including oral health messages across many different health and wellbeing policies, strategies and commissioning.
Bruce Laurence, Director of Public Health for Bath & North East Somerset Council, said: “Having good oral health is an important part of overall health and wellbeing.
“It allows people to enjoy a full life by being able to communicate with confidence and eat a wide range of foods.
“We have had positive results in Bath and North East Somerset in recent years but it still remains that the vast majority of problems that do exist are entirely preventable and that in Bath and North East Somerset dental ill health is concentrated in certain areas and population groups.
“We are therefore working closely with the other West of England authorities to do more to encourage good oral health and address inequalities across the region, and we want to get local views on how best to achieve that.”
The consultation on the strategy is running until midnight on Wednesday, 20th July, and involves taking part in a short survey.
Following consultation, each of the four West of England councils will develop local action plans tailored to their local populations.
To have your say, visit: https://consultations.southglos.gov.uk/consult.ti/oralhealthpromotion/consultationHome.
