Scottish Health Boards' Dental Epidemiological Programme (SHBDEP) 1987-2001

NB: SHBDEP was replaced by the National Dental Inspection Programme (NDIP), 2003-present.

Organisation responsible: This programme of surveys, which ran between 1987 and 2001, was managed by the Scottish Dental Epidemiology Co-ordinating Committee (SDECC). It was undertaken under the auspices of the Committee of Chief Administrative Dental Officers/Consultants in Dental Public Health Group (CADO/CDPH Scotland Group). It was a joint venture between all fifteen Scottish NHS Boards and the Chief Scientist Office's Dental Health Services Research Unit based at the University of Dundee.

Background and purpose: The aim of these surveys was to determine levels of tooth decay, to obtain a simple population measure of the level of oral cleanliness, and to investigate the impact of deprivation on the dental health of children in Scotland. The programme provided results for each NHS Board. It allowed comparison between Boards and the monitoring of trends over time, for the purposes of monitoring and planning oral health prevention programmes and dental services. It also allowed comparison of the results for Scotland with those of other parts of the UK.

Survey years/frequency: Annual, rotating across the target groups as follows: 
5-year-old children were examined every two years, in 1987, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999 and 2001.
12-year-old children were examined every four years, in 1988, 1992, 1996 and 2000.
14-year-olds were also examined every four years, in 1990, 1994, and 1998.

SHBDEP surveys were carried out over the school year (eg 1999/2000, 2000/2001) with the the dental examinations taking place in the latter part of the school year. Report titles also refer to the latter year (eg 2000 and 2001 in the examples above).

Survey content: The SHBDEP collected data on dental caries (numbers of decayed, missing or filled teeth - dmft), oral cleanliness, and dental trauma. Deprivation status was assessed via postcode sector information for the child's area of residence. The information was collated and anonymised for reports.

Target population: School children aged 5 years, 12 years and 14 years, in local authority (not private) schools in Scotland.

Sample size: The SHBDEP used to sample around 8,000 children across Scotland each year, of whom around 7,000 were examined. Each NHS Board was required to identify the number of schools needed to obtain a representative sample of a given size (dependent on Board size) from the relevant age group population (5, 12 or 14 years). The sample sizes used provided adequate numbers to allow meaningful comparison between Boards.

Response rate: With around 7,000 children examined each year out of a sample of around 8,000, response was around 90%.

Method of data collection: Data were collected by trained and calibrated Community Dental Service (CDS) dentists who followed a standard oral examination procedure for children. The examinations took place in schools.

Smallest geographical unit reported: NHS Board; postcode sector (for analyses by deprivation level using the Carstairs deprivation category (McLoone, 1994)).

Availability of results and further information: All survey publications are available from the Dental Health Services Research Unit, University of Dundee .