2003 Dental Health Survey of Children and Young People

The 2003 Dental Health Survey of Children and Young People is the fourth in a series of national dental surveys carried out every ten years since 1973. The survey will provide information on the dental health of children in the United Kingdom, will measure changes in oral health since the last survey in 1993 and will provide information on children's experiences of dental care and treatment and their oral hygiene.

A pilot study for the survey was conducted in November/December 2002.

Key Facts

Survey coverage:	United Kingdom
Estimated sample size:	12,300 (10,500 GB, 1,800 NI)
Fieldwork:	Dental examinations October and November 2003 Questionnaires November 2003 to February 2004

Who is doing the survey?
The 2003 Dental Health Survey of Children and Young People has been commissioned by the UK Departments of Health and is the fourth in a series of national dental surveys that have been carried out every ten years since 1973.

The survey is being carried out by the Office for National Statistics in collaboration with the Dental Schools of the Universities of Birmingham, Dundee, Newcastle and Wales and the Central Survey Unit of the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency.

Why is the survey being carried out?
The survey will provide information on the dental health of children in the United Kingdom and will measure changes in oral health since the last survey in 1993. The survey will also provide information on children's experiences of dental care and treatment and their oral hygiene.

How has the sample been selected?
Firstly, a random selection of primary and secondary schools was taken. Then a random selection of children aged 5, 8, 12 and 15 attending the selected schools was drawn.

What does the survey involve?

There are two elements to the survey:

• a short dental examination of selected children
• a postal questionnaire to parents/guardians of the examined children

The dental examination will be carried out at school by a professional, qualified dentist who is experienced in examining children. He/she will be employed by an NHS Trust or Health Board. A dental nurse from the same place will record the results of the examination.

After the children have been examined, a postal questionnaire will be sent to about half of the parents/guardians, asking about their child's experiences of dental problems and treatment and their opinions about them. The questionnaire will also collect some information about the parents/guardians, such as age and sex, and information about their own dental care.

Parents/guardians who receive a questionnaire will also be asked for permission to allow us to link the results of the survey to their child's NHS dental treatment records. The questionnaire can still be completed even if parents/guardians do not want the results of the survey to be linked to these records.

Is the survey confidential?
All information given will be treated in confidence. The information will not be used in any way that allows individuals or schools to be identified. No identifiable information about anyone taking part in the survey will be passed to any outside bodies without their knowledge and agreement.

Where can we find the results?
The first results from the survey are due to be published in the summer of 2004.

Further information:
For more information about the 2003 Dental Health Survey of Children and Young People please call the survey team on 020 7533 6280 or email: dhs@ons.gov.uk

For more information about the other surveys ONS carries out contact: SSD Project Support Branch Tel: +44 (0)20 7533 5500 or e-mail: ssdpsb@ons.gov.uk

This page last revised: Friday, 25 April 2003