BDA Northern Ireland will be hosting an event entitled 'Oral Health Matters: A Vision for Oral Health in Northern Ireland' in The Long Gallery, Stormont, on 17 October 2019.

Improving the nation's oral health is at the very heart of the British Dental Association's (BDA's) mission. Oral health in Northern Ireland has, for many years, been considered the worst in the whole of the UK. Despite some progress, Northern Ireland continues to face considerable challenges, particularly for the youngest and oldest cohorts of the population.

The evidence shows that:

  • Just 19% of 15-year-old children were considered to have 'good oral health' according to the most recent Child Oral Health Survey

  • Twenty-three thousand children's teeth were extracted under general anaesthetic (GA) in Northern Ireland in 2017/18 (three times pro-rata than England)

  • The Community Dental Service is currently struggling to provide a comprehensive screening and treatment service for elderly care home residents; given demographic changes, these pressures are only set to increase

  • The current Northern Ireland Oral Health Strategy dates back to 2007; there is a policy vacuum in relation to oral health, and in linking oral health with wider public health goals

  • Not a single extra penny of the £12.3 million sugar levy money coming to Northern Ireland in 2018/19 was allocated to additional child public health initiatives, despite the converse in England.

Tristan Kelso, Director, BDA Northern Ireland, commented: 'It is because of [this] combination of persistent health inequalities, challenges and potential opportunities - that our aim is for a renewed, ambitious vision for oral health in Northern Ireland; a vision that empowers individuals to achieve their best oral health possible and is based on wider collaboration and establishing the important links between oral health and general health outcomes. It will have prevention at its core; it will be rights-based and will proactively address oral health inequalities; and it will value our dental practitioners who are key to delivering the best possible care to their patients'.

The Oral Health Matters event aims to bring together a wide range of stakeholders, all of whom have a shared interest in oral health issues. A line-up of expert speakers will provide lucid insights from the worlds of dental practice, dental public health, and research and academia. They include Caroline Lappin, Chair, BDA Northern Ireland Council and Gerry McKenna, Chair of the BDA Northern Ireland Hospitals Group.

Mr Kelso said: 'We also look forward to hearing from a number of well-known public representatives on the importance of prioritising oral health, and why this matters to the people they represent. We want this to mark a significant event in turning the tide on oral health outcomes in Northern Ireland'.

The event will open with lunch on arrival at 1.30 pm and run until 4.15 pm.