Today (26 September 2016) marks the official launch of the Children’s Oral Health Improvement Programme Board (COHIPB).
Chaired and led by Dr Jenny Godson who leads on oral health improvement at Public Health England (PHE), the COHIPB brings together stakeholder organisations that all have key leadership roles for children and young people, including NHS England, the LGA, the British Dental Association, and the Institute of Health Visiting.
The Board’s ambition is that “every child grows up free from tooth decay as part of every child having the best start in life”. The group’s oral health action plan and 5 high level objectives have been developed and agreed by partners working together following a PHE Best Start in Life oral health roundtable held in July 2015.
The Board’s objectives are to ensure:
child oral health is on everyone’s agenda
the early years and dental workforce have access to evidence based oral health improvement training
oral health data and information is used to the best effect by all key stakeholders
all stakeholders use the best evidence for oral health improvement
child oral health improvement information is communicated effectively
Although oral health is improving in England, almost a quarter (24.7%) of 5 year olds have tooth decay, and oral health accounts for a huge cost to health services. The NHS in England spends £3.4 billion per year on primary and secondary dental care (2014) (with an estimated additional £2.3 billion on private dental care). Tooth decay was the most common reason for hospital admission in children aged 5 to 9 in 2014/15 with over 26,000 children admissions for an almost entirely preventable disease.
Public Health England
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