Update on the Kent 2018-19 Dental Epidemiology

Locally, the community dental services were commissioned to survey the teeth of children aged 5 to identify if they have any filled, missing or decayed teeth. The survey has now been completed for 2018-2019.

Kent County Council, who commission and Kent Community Health NHS Trust, who undertake the survey, would like to thank the 246 schools that took part. Hopefully, it provided a good opportunity for schools to promote oral health and the care of teeth, part of which is having teeth checked.

3097 children aged 5 years had their teeth examined in schools across the county between November 2018 and July 2019. For some children, this may have been the first dental check they ever received.

Approximately one in seven children were found to have tooth decay or cavities in their teeth. This ranged across the county from one in two 5-year-old children in Dover district to one in seventeen 5-year-old children in Ashford district. Parents of these children were notified and advised to visit a dentist for treatment.

The information collected in Kent will form part of the national data set. This will allow Kent County Council to better understand oral health and to target appropriate educational and promotional activity more effectively across the county. Further information will be shared with schools in due course.

The next survey is expected to be undertaken in 2020 to 2021. Kent County Council hope they can rely on your support to enable these ongoing surveys to take place.

If you would like further information on oral health, please do not hesitate to contact the team.

Contact Details

Kent Community Health NHS Trust
Phone number: 0300 7900158
Email: kchft.oralhealthkent@nhs.uk
Website: Kent Community Health NHS Trust website