A new dental health survey of five‑year‑olds will take place in schools across the Isle of Man this spring.
Parents and carers of children who are five between May 11–22 will receive a letter and consent form from their school.
Those who agree will have their child take part in a short, in‑school dental check carried out by the survey team.
The assessment takes only a few minutes and is not a full dental examination; families will be contacted by letter if anything requires follow‑up.
Dental Survey
The survey, carried out every two years, helps Public Health monitor children’s oral health and track long‑term trends.
Cabinet Office Minister David Ashford MBE MHK said: “The results of the dental survey will act as a benchmark for future work to improve oral health and help to plan dental services.
“The latest dental survey indicates a high level of tooth decay in five-year-olds in the Isle of Man. With the Supervised Toothbrushing Programme well-established in many of the island’s nurseries, continued examination is important to help us to identify any long-term trends and measure the success of the programme over time.
“The data gathered also helps us to develop the Island’s core dataset to build a picture of the factors affecting health and wellbeing in children and adults. We encourage parents or carers to complete the consent form when you receive it. You will be helping us build a more informative picture of oral health in the Isle of Man.”
