​The Society of British Dental Nurses (SBDN) has added its support to Public Health England's consensus on healthy ageing.

This is an initiative created and supported by a range of organisations across national and local government, charity and voluntary organisations, public health, academics and the NHS, and has been facilitated by Public Health England and the Centre for Ageing Better.

Its purpose is to set out shared commitments on healthy ageing and to demonstrate leadership ahead of the World Health Organisation’s Decade of Healthy Ageing 2020-2030.

The ambition is for current and future generations to achieve a healthier later life, making England the best place in the world to grow older through:

  1. Putting prevention first
  2. Creating opportunities for people as they age to make a contribution to society
  3. Supporting good homes and neighbourhoods
  4. Narrowing inequalities
  5. Challenging ageist and negative language, culture and practices

These five commitments together, when fully realised, will go a long way towards achieving the vision.

Action by people, communities, national government (for example via the Industrial Strategy Ageing Society Grand Challenge), local authorities, the NHS, the research community, businesses, employers and voluntary and community organisations can help provide everyone with the opportunities and support they need to have a healthy and fulfilling later life.

Other dental groups that are signatories to the government statement include the British Dental Association, the National Oral Health Promotion Group and the Dental Professionals Alliance.

Fiona Ellwood, Patron of the SBDN, who is part of her local LDN and the MCN of gerodontology network knows only too well some of the challenges professional groups face and has a greater awareness of the challenges and decisions often made in the provision of oral health and wellbeing.

She said: 'We know only to well that we have an ever increasing aging population and it is time to act now in order that we can reduce the incidences of more complex challenges further down the line.

'Access to oral health care for the ageing population should not be a postcode lottery – it is a human right. Oral health and wellbeing is everyone's responsibility and for this very reason this ambition has our backing. We are also proud to have been part of the Dental Professionals Alliance decision to be a signatory.'

Author: