The Oral Health Unit carried out a Randomised Control Trial on 17,000 six-year-olds in St Helen's, Runcorn and Widnes - areas chosen because of the poor dental health among children and adults. NHS dentistry was freely available to children in these areas.
Dr Keith Milsom, operational director of the Unit, said that previously screening was thought to be 'well-meaning', but there was no evidence that it improved children's health.
Screening, the system where dentists visit schools and refer children for treatment, has taken place in England since 1918.
Dr Milsom said, 'The research demonstrates unequivocally that following school dental screening, dental health doesn't get better. The fact is it doesn't work. If screening didn't work in these areas then it wasn't going to work anywhere else.'
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