A Public Health questionnaire aims to find out more about oral health habits among 5 year olds in the Isle of Man. 
Designed to be completed by parents and carers of children in Reception and Year 1, the link to the online questionnaire has been sent to all Island primary schools to distribute.
The questions focus on how children look after their teeth at home including brushing habits, food and drink intake, and visiting the dentist.
Professor Hugo van Woerden, Interim Director of Public Health commented:
‘Good oral health is really important. It helps to prevent tooth decay, and other problems such as toothache, infection and swollen gums. We have been doing a lot of work on improving oral health in children in the Isle of Man, in line with Tynwald’s recent recommendations.
‘Every other year, we undertake an assessment of oral health among the Island’s 5 year olds and this helps provide a picture of the situation locally. This year, the questionnaire will also help us to understand oral health habits at home so we can put any additional measures in place to improve self-care. As tooth decay is preventable, we can improve dental health in the Isle of Man.
We are asking parents and carers to complete the questionnaire when you receive it. Taking part is an opportunity to contribute to healthier teeth for our children. If you have not received a questionnaire link or need it sent again, please contact your child’s primary school.’
All responses are anonymous. The online questionnaire will close at 11:59pm on 26 November 2023 and should take approximately 10 minutes to complete.
Find out more about what is being done for oral health in the Public Health ‘Oral Health’ webpages.
