The percentage of children across Lanarkshire with no obvious dental decay is showing significant improvements – and it is all thanks to the sustained care and attention of children, parents and staff.

The National Dental Inspection Programme (NDIP) is carried out annually in all health boards within Scotland with support from the Scottish Dental Epidemiology Co-ordinating Committee.

Throughout the course of the programme, dental staff carry out dental inspections for Primary One and Primary Seven pupils, with detailed inspections alternating annually between P1 and P7.

The main aim of NDIP is to inform parents and care-givers of the dental health status of the child in their care. 

The most recent NDIP report for 2023/24 has shown that for the first time the number of children with no signs of tooth decay in Lanarkshire is now above the Scottish average.

While this is excellent news and highlights the exceptional work being undertaken to improve the dental health of children across Lanarkshire, the team are committed to further improving the oral health of children with an integrated approach to reducing the levels of dental disease in our child population.

Geraldeen Irving, Clinical Director of the Public Dental Service, added: “We are committed to supporting further improvements that can be made through the excellent preventive programmes that are in place to help reduce the oral health inequalities of children in Lanarkshire.”