Public Health is carrying out a dental health survey of five year-olds in the Isle of Man this spring.
The survey will take place between this month and involve a short dental check for children whose parents or carers have consented.
Parents or carers of children who are five years old between 11 to 22 May 2026 should receive a letter and consent form from their school asking them to take part.
For those who consent, their child’s teeth will be checked in school by the dental survey team. The dental survey is not like a regular dental check-up. It will only take a few minutes and if the team does find anything that needs to be examined further, they will get in touch by letter.
The dental survey takes place every other year and helps Public Health to understand the oral health needs of children in the Isle of Man.
Minister for Cabinet Office, Hon. David Ashford MBE MHK, said:
‘The results of the dental survey will act as a benchmark for future work to improve oral health and help to plan dental services. The latest dental survey indicates a high level of tooth decay in five-year-olds in the Isle of Man. With the Supervised Toothbrushing Programme well-established in many of the Island’s nurseries, continued examination is important to help us to identify any long-term trends and measure the success of the programme over time.
‘The data gathered also helps us to develop the Island’s core dataset to build a picture of the factors affecting health and wellbeing in children and adults. We encourage parents or carers to complete the consent form when you receive it. You will be helping us build a more informative picture of oral health in the Isle of Man.’
Further information can be found on the dental survey webpage.
