Harrow has seen improvements in oral health in recent years, but challenges remain, particularly for vulnerable populations, according to a new report discussed at the Harrow Health and Wellbeing Board meeting on Thursday, 3 July 2025.
The Oral Health Needs Assessment, presented to the board, indicates that while tooth decay rates, hospital admissions, and tooth extractions are falling, poor oral health remains prevalent across all ages in the borough.
The assessment highlighted that certain communities in Harrow are disproportionately affected, including people with learning disabilities, those from specific ethnic backgrounds, and residents in more deprived areas.
The report summary states that the reasons for poor oral health in Harrow are multi-faceted and are heavily influenced by the socio-economic, cultural and physical environment in which people live, and that this is compounded when people experience difficulty accessing NHS dental care.
Several interventions have been introduced in recent years to tackle the issue, particularly among children. These include the Supervised Toothbrushing Programme, oral health education initiatives in children's settings, and the Making Every Contact Count (MECC) programme.
The board was asked to note and comment on the draft findings of the report and identify areas for collaboration between partners to implement the recommendations. The recommendations from the Needs Assessment align with the following themes:
- Enhance integration and collaboration
- Extend the Harrow Oral Health Promotion offer
- Address and overcome risk factors and the wider determinants of oral health
- Improve NHS Dentistry access
- Optimise delivery of NHS Dentistry
- Advance intelligence and research
- Advocate for change beyond the scope of this Needs Assessment
The Health and Wellbeing Board has three main functions:
- To assess the needs of the local population and lead the statutory joint strategic needs assessment
- To promote integration and partnership across areas, including through promoting joined up commissioning plans across NHS, social care and public health
- To support joint commissioning and pooled arrangements, where all parties agree this makes sense.
The board will now consider the findings and work towards implementing the recommendations to further improve oral health and reduce inequalities in Harrow. The Oral Health Needs Assessment report summary provides further details on the recommendations.