Melissa Jayne Ball
The ambition of Public Health England is for all children to avoid tooth decay as they grow, yet this issue remains the most common reason for which young children are hospitalised. Negligence surrounding this subject was acknowledged by the government ten years ago and plans were introduced to improve statistics. However, studies have shown that although improvements were seen between 2012 and 2017, present statistics show improvements to have reached a standstill (PHE, 2020, p.5). If improving oral health was a governmental priority, one may question why progresses have come to a halt. It is the opinion of many that more must be done to promote good oral health, which includes educating parents and supporting those who work with children. This is particularly important as almost all cases of dental cavities in children are preventable (Institution of Health Visiting, 2015; PHE, 2019). The participants to be involved in this research consists of dental professionals and parents of early years/school aged children. Using the methodology of the questionnaire, parental awareness of strategies and knowledge upon the promotion of oral health will be determined. Furthermore, interviews will be conducted with dental professionals to discover whether they feel parents are well informed upon such strategies.