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NDIP arose out of the Scottish Health Boards’ Dental Epidemiological Programme (SHBDEP), which operated from 1987 to 2001. Prior to SHBDEP, there were no reliable annual data. NDIP was then developed to standardise the processes and outcomes of school screenings, and to ensure the aims of the programme were met in a consistent reliable and reproducible manner.
A key aim for NDIP was to ensure that the results of the dental screening process provided utility beyond data collection, with findings used to inform parents of their children’s dental health and promote dental attendance as required, whilst simultaneously provided high quality dental epidemiological data.
Data from NDIP inspections is shared with Public Health Scotland who analyse and report on the data. Findings from NDIP have also influenced the development of Scotland’s national oral health improvement programme, Childsmile, as part of the programme’s ongoing evaluation