Suchergebnisse

Before 2002, there had been a long-term stalemate between private water companies and District Health Authorities across England. Between 2002 and 2005 the team in the Office of the Chief Dental Officer used leadership and advocacy skills to overcome political barriers, introducing the Water Act 2003 and a Statutory Instrument in 2005 providing indemnity for water companies. This legislation was key in removing obstacles towards the expansion water fluoridation across England.

The present anti-racial discrimination legislation in the United Kingdom is embodied in the 1976 Race Relations Act. In essence this Act attempts to avoid any form of direct or indirect discrimination on the basis of racial or ethnic origin. However, health professionals are acutely aware that there are important racial differences in disease, some of which are, in fact, not racial but merely associated with social deprivation, poor housing and, of course, the incapacity to speak English. These new findings present the medical profession, in the climate of scarce resources, with the challenge of meeting these needs without discriminating in favour of, or against, individuals on the basis of their race. This is because there are few provision in the 1976 Act to allow for such discrimination, even when it is for an ethnic group's advantage. The dilemmas this raises for health professionals who are involved in planning services for ethnic minorities are discussed.

The new sugar tax was recently announced by Government, aiming to combat obesity through investment in school sports. Dental professionals should seize this rare opportunity to raise awareness of the other adverse effects of sugar; young children continue to suffer alarmingly high rates of dental cavities in the UK. A significant amount of money raised through the levy must be reinvested into ensuring fluoride toothpaste is more affordable. Since daily use of fluoride toothpaste is the most effective evidence-based oral health preventative measure that is widely used, this should receive tax exemption status from the government as a means of universal oral health prevention. There must also be a re-investment in innovative oral health education so that the next generation of children will alter their mind set about sugar. Oral health prevention advice must be tightly integrated into general health messages.