The focus of this essay is to critically analyse and evaluate one aspect of Scotland’s Dentistry and oral health policy (2005) particular attention will be given to children’s oral health and how this policy was implemented into practice.
McMahon et al. (2011) explains that dental decay is an almost a completely preventable condition, however dental caries remains one of the world 's most prevalent diseases in childhood. The typical Scottish diet is high in sugar and contributes to well over the recommended daily amount for children (Barton and Wrieden 2012) high sugar consumption in the form of non-milk extrinsic sugars (NMES) is one of the several risk factors that have been identified in the development of dental cavities, along with insufficient …show more content…
Health inequalities and social inequalities is a cyclical process you cannot solve one without tackling the other. Childsmile has given great attention to oral health in nurseries and schools however with only little attention to parental involvement, one of the key things to consider when implementing oral health policy to practice particularly with younger children is that they do not have the same access and understanding of information and resources that adults do and therefore cannot make informed choices about what they eat and if they brush their teeth correctly. This is largely dependent on the parent’s decisions, a child’s wellbeing and oral health is very much underpinned by the parents or guardians and more focus on the biggest influencers is needed through educating them with more knowledge and information, especially in the areas of greatest deprivation. It is easy to assume that the general public knows what is required to maintain good dental hygiene however the public requires clear information on how to achieve and maintain good oral health, clear information is needed on the dental services that are available to the public also highlighting the importance of brushing teeth and gums that along with a reduction of NMES is paramount to achieve good dental
McMahon et al. (2011) explains that dental decay is an almost a completely preventable condition, however dental caries remains one of the world 's most prevalent diseases in childhood. The typical Scottish diet is high in sugar and contributes to well over the recommended daily amount for children (Barton and Wrieden 2012) high sugar consumption in the form of non-milk extrinsic sugars (NMES) is one of the several risk factors that have been identified in the development of dental cavities, along with insufficient …show more content…
Health inequalities and social inequalities is a cyclical process you cannot solve one without tackling the other. Childsmile has given great attention to oral health in nurseries and schools however with only little attention to parental involvement, one of the key things to consider when implementing oral health policy to practice particularly with younger children is that they do not have the same access and understanding of information and resources that adults do and therefore cannot make informed choices about what they eat and if they brush their teeth correctly. This is largely dependent on the parent’s decisions, a child’s wellbeing and oral health is very much underpinned by the parents or guardians and more focus on the biggest influencers is needed through educating them with more knowledge and information, especially in the areas of greatest deprivation. It is easy to assume that the general public knows what is required to maintain good dental hygiene however the public requires clear information on how to achieve and maintain good oral health, clear information is needed on the dental services that are available to the public also highlighting the importance of brushing teeth and gums that along with a reduction of NMES is paramount to achieve good dental