A standard measure for oral health
29. England has a relatively high ratio of people
to dentists compared with the rest of Europe and yet has the best
oral health figures for 12 year olds.[49]
Oral health is known to be affected by many factors including
smoking, diet, availability of fluoride through toothpaste and
water fluoridation, dental care and oral health education.[50]
There is lack of knowledge about the direct effect of each factor,
however, and further research is required as to why England has
a comparatively good oral health record despite its relative shortage
of dentists. Research is also required on how to alleviate social
and regional variations in performance.
30. Whilst there is agreement between the Department
and the profession that NHS dental services should be more focused
towards preventive care than has been the case in the past, there
is disagreement amongst the dental profession about what a suitable
measure of oral health would be. If the remuneration system for
dentists is to reward dentists for improving the oral health of
their population then a consistent method for assessing oral health
needs to be identified and applied. In their Report, Reforming
NHS Dentistry: Ensuring Effective Management of Risks, the
National Audit Office used an oral health index devised by Birmingham
University.
31. The Department needs data to support detailed
research on oral health. Under the current system the Dental Practice
Board provides extensive dental health information to the public
and professionals. It also approves payment applications and calculates
and transfers payments to dentists who undertake NHS treatments.
As a result of the introduction of the new contract and the cessation
of payment per item of treatment, the Board will no longer be
able to collect the same type of data. As a result the Dental
Practice Board has work in progress to develop new methods of
monitoring, based on examining clinical effectiveness of treatment
provided and the clinical performance of dentists.[51]
48 
