Cleaning teeth together keeps children smiling in Worcestershire
Nursery children at St Mary’s Primary School in Kidderminster enjoy a daily routine that is helping to build healthy habits for life.
Each afternoon they brush their teeth together before going home.
St Mary’s Primary School are just one of 35 nurseries and primary schools who are part of a supervised toothbrushing programme in Worcestershire.
The programme aims to give children the support they need to develop positive brushing habits early, helping to prevent decay, pain and poor oral health in later life.
Tooth decay is the leading cause of hospital admissions for children aged five to nine years old. In England, one in five children aged five have experienced tooth decay, rising to one in three in some areas.
The Smile Squad, part of Worcestershire Community Dental Service, who run the scheme, train nursery staff and teachers in best toothbrushing practice. Staff also encourage families to brush twice a day at home to reinforce the importance of regular toothbrushing and give each child a free toothbrush and toothpaste to take home every term.
Councillor Satinder Bell, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing at Worcestershire County Council, praised the programme at a recent visit to St Mary’s Primary School.
She said “It’s wonderful to see this programme in action. By making toothbrushing a fun and shared activity, children learn positive habits that will support their health for many years to come. The children clearly enjoy taking part, especially receiving a sticker afterwards.
“As the programme continues to grow, we hope to see real improvements in the oral health of young children in Worcestershire in future. That’s something that will give us all a reason to smile.”
Deputy Head of St Mary’s Primary School, David Timmins said “Many of our children take part in supervised toothbrushing from the age of three right through to age five, so by the time they leave us they have a really strong routine in place. We see a clear difference in their skills and confidence.
At St Mary’s we take the approach that we are there for whatever our children need. If up to one in three of our children in class have toothache, they can’t focus on learning. We find that this holistic way of working really benefits our children, families and community.”
To find out more about the Smile Squad, visit: www.hacw.nhs.uk/oral-health-improvement.