§ Mrs. Iris RobinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the standard of dental health of the Province's population. [154591]
§ Angela SmithThere has been a gradual improvement in the standard of oral health in adults in Northern Ireland over the last 10 years. However, the general level of oral health here is still considerably worse than in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland, particularly among children.
The Chief Dental Officer has recently established a Steering Group to develop a new Oral Health Strategy, which will set the oral health agenda for the next 10 years. This new Strategy will identify the oral health needs of the population here, determine desired outcomes and identify areas where oral health can link into the wider health agenda.