Supervised toothbrushing for children to prevent tooth decay

Source: Department of Health and Social Care, Department for Education

Children in the most deprived areas of England will get access to a programme to help protect them from tooth decay, the government has announced today.

The supervised toothbrushing programme will be rolled out in early years settings and primary schools, with funding available from April, helping hundreds of thousands of children aged between 3 and 5 years old to develop positive brushing habits.

The scheme – a manifesto commitment – will be launched in collaboration with Colgate-Palmolive who are providing free Colgate toothbrushes, toothpaste and educational materials to continue good work at home.

This government inherited a children’s oral health crisis. The most common reason children aged 5 to 9 being are admitted to hospital is to have treatment for decayed teeth. Latest data shows 1 in 5 children aged 5 have experienced tooth decay in England, with higher rates of up to 1 in 3 in more deprived areas.

The scheme will help tackle these levels of poor health by ensuring they get the support they need to learn positive habits and prevent tooth decay – in turn avoiding related illness and poor health later in life.