title: Addressing oral health inequalities in the United Kingdom--the impact of devolution on population-based fluoride policy.
abstract: The front covers of the current volume of the British Dental Journal (Volume 215) feature drawings by children participating in the Welsh national oral health improvement programme - Designed to Smile. This programme involves 78,350 children in the Principality, who are deemed at greatest risk of tooth decay, participating in daily toothbrushing in 1,211 nurseries and schools. It mirrors the Childsmile programme in Scotland. Since devolution in 1999, approaches to oral health improvement across the United Kingdom have diverged. This article considers the way in which population-based policies with regards to fluoride use have varied between countries.
authors.affiliation: Cardiff University Dental School, Heath Park, Cardiff, CF14 4XY, UK. chestnuttig@cardiff.ac.uk
authors.forename: I G
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Chestnutt
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002327:Cariostatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000517:prevention & control; D003733:Dental Caries Susceptibility; D005457:Fluoridation; D005459:Fluorides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006267:Health Education, Dental; D006291:Health Policy; D006293:Health Promotion; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D009909:Oral Health; D011203:Poverty; D012571:School Dentistry; D012606:Scotland; D014099:Toothbrushing / Q000379:methods; D006113:United Kingdom; D035862:Vulnerable Populations; D014852:Wales
chemical_list: D002327:Cariostatic Agents; D005459:Fluorides