Charity calls on local authorities to improve oral health services
The Oral Health Foundation has called on local authorities to improve oral health services and the signposting of available dental services to local communities, following the publication of new NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) guidance on oral health promotion in communities.
The new guidance outlines how local authorities can identify the oral health needs of their communities, and shows steps they can take to address oral health inequalities.
Dr Ben Atkins, a Trustee of the Oral Health Foundation, said that “We have to let people who are in need of help know that help is available for them.”
“One of the first steps towards this is for local authorities to ensure they understand the needs of their communities when it comes to oral health and put in place the necessary interventions to address any problems,” he continued.
“There are still some regions in the UK where oral health promotion is not treated with the priority that it deserves and as a result many people feel disillusioned with the help they can get. But this NICE guidance includes some very common sense information for local authorities which can help change this,” Dr Atkins noted.
As well as carrying out oral health assessments of communities, the NICE guidance also advises local authorities to ensure that health and social care services include oral health in care plans of people who are receiving health or social care support and are at high risk of poor oral health.
They also recommend that local authorities provide oral health improvement programmes in early years services and schools in areas where children and young people are at high risk of poor oral health.
