Sunflowers Day Nursery in Wolverhampton has implemented daily toothbrushing sessions for children, aimed at enhancing dental hygiene practices. The initiative has been running for the past ten months, according to preschool supervisor Kerry Burden, who emphasized its positive impact on the children’s health.
Wolverhampton faces significant dental health challenges, boasting the highest rate of children with decayed or missing teeth in the UK, at 43%, far exceeding the national average of 23%. In response to this crisis, Labour recently pledged to introduce 100,000 additional dental appointments for children to address the backlog in England.
Burden highlighted a troubling trend, noting, “We’ve seen a decline in dental health, particularly over the last few years. We’ve had cases where children as young as three have required hospital treatment for tooth extractions due to inadequate dental care and lack of awareness among parents.”
In September, the nursery collaborated with Wolverhampton’s oral health team to establish a supervised toothbrushing program. With parental consent, children are encouraged to brush their teeth at the nursery each day, supplementing their home routines of twice-daily brushing.
Each day, an alarm signals brushing time, during which children clean their teeth for two minutes while listening to a song. Burden noted, “This routine has made it easier for parents to encourage toothbrushing at home, as it has become part of the nursery’s daily activities.”
Dr. Neel Barchha, principal dental surgeon at Willows Dental & Implant Centre, underscored the importance of such initiatives but pointed out that improving dental health also hinges on dietary changes. “While these programs are fantastic, we must address dietary habits to make a real difference,” he stated.
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