March 2014

Volume 31, Issue 1

Dental Public Health in Action - Developing and implementing a fluoride varnish programme for young children in Bradford, UK

Authors: C.J. Paige S.K. Shahid
doi: 10.1922/CDH_3279Paige04

Abstract

Initial impetus for action Bradford District is an area of approximately 400 square kilometres, in the Yorkshire and Humber region of Northern England, The population estimate for Bradford District for 2009 was 506,800 people and it is one of a few metropolitan districts experiencing population growth. The population is younger relative to England, and is more deprived. The district is ethnically diverse with 74% of the population white, 21% Asian, and 5% mixed race, black or other ethnicities (Office for National Statistics, 2009). Regular National Dental Epidemiology Programme surveys demonstrate that five-year-old children living in Bradford District have disease levels significantly greater than the average for England, with very little improvement over the past ten years (Bradford and Airedale NHS, 2012). Results from the oral health survey of five-year-old children carried out in 2007/08 showed a mean number of decayed, missing and filled teeth (d3mft) of 2.42 (Rooney et al., 2009). In 2007/08 Primary Care Trusts (PCT) in England were responsible for assessing the oral health needs of their population, and for commissioning appropriate oral health programmes and dental services to meet those needs. A package of care aimed at improving oral health of young children in Bradford, had previously been commissioned by the former Bradford and Airedale teaching PCT under the name of ‘Building Brighter Smiles’ which was based on the principles of proportionate universalism with population-wide and targeted elements. The package followed an early life course approach and included breastfeeding advice, partnership working with health visitors to provide oral health advice, free toothpaste, toothbrush and trainer cups to under two-years-olds, a dental health award promoting healthy snacks in pre-school settings, toothbrushing programmes in schools and mosques, and providing oral-health based educational resources for pre-school and primary school children. This package of care provided by Bradford District Care Trust Community Dental Service (CDS) had been in place for over seven years commencing in 2000. Despite this intensive and proactive approach, dental disease at a population level in Bradford District remained high.

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Other articles in this issue

Article Pages Access
Editorial - Reviews of the literature: Expected standards 2-3 Download
Acknowledgement of Referees 4-4 Download
Dental Public Health in Action - Developing and implementing a fluoride varnish programme for young children in Bradford, UK 5-8 Download
The provision of dietary advice by dental practitioners: a review of the literature 9-14 Download
Dentinal hypersensitivity: a narrative review 15-20 Download
Investigation of bias related to non-return of consent for a dental epidemiological survey of caries among five-year-olds 21-26 Download
Comparison of oral health among older people with and without dementia 27-31 Download
Mothers’ sense of coherence and oral health related quality of life of preschool children in Udupi Taluk 32-36 Download
Development and psychometric validation of a Health Literacy in Dentistry scale (HeLD) 37-43 Download
Cross-cultural adaptation, validity and psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the dental satisfaction questionnaire 44-49 Download
The incidence of cleft lip and palate in a Kurd population: a prospective study 50-52 Download
The significance of motivation in periodontal treatment: Validity and reliability of the motivation assessment scale among patients undergoing periodontal treatment 53-56 Download
Oral health behaviours and perceptions reported by Indigenous Australians living in Darwin, Northern Territory 57-61 Download
Trends in the geographic distribution of dental clinics in Japan 62-64 Download

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