A new oral health strategy for children will be unveiled in the new year.

Health Minister David Ashford made the pledge in Tynwald last week.

He said: ’The oral health strategy is currently in draft form and is dedicated to oral health services as they pertain to children aged nought to 11 years.

’The strategy will provide opportunity for reporting of an oral health need assessment in children within this age bracket.’

The strategy was in the ’final stages of approval’, before being made public early in the new year.

He added: ’The department has also recently developed a dental strategy, which will outline the key priorities for the delivery of NHS dental services to the island’s population over the next five years.’

Again, that is due to be made public early next year.

David Cretney MLC pointed out there had been an earlier oral health strategy and expressed concern that no action had ever been taken on it.

Mr Ashford said that was drawn up when David Anderson was health minister and was designed to cover 2011-2016. But he was dismissive of its worth.

’I must be honest, looking at that strategy, there was not a lot of measurables in it,’ he said.

’There was a wish list, but not a lot of measurables.

’One of the things I have focused on and been very keen on with ministers, when documents come forward, they actually have to have a pathway with deliverables in it - and that is exactly what we are focusing on within this strategy.’