Thousands of primary and nursery school children in Gloucestershire have been accessing supervised toothbrushing sessions thanks to the Big Brush Club.
The Big Brush Club has been rolling out the sessions across 113 schools and nurseries with more than 6,000 children aged between three and five taking part in the scheme.
The aim of the programme is for every child to brush their teeth with fluoride toothpaste once a day, and ideally twice a day. Teaching good brushing routines from an early age helps reduce oral health inequalities among children.
The programme commissioned by the NHS, in partnership with local authorities, and delivered by dentist provider At Home Dental, has been rolled out to children living in areas of greatest tooth decay across South West England.
One of the Gloucestershire schools taking part is Bream CofE Primary School in the Forest of Dean, where the children in Reception have enjoyed the toothbrushing sessions so much they’ve even made up their own toothbrushing song.
Headteacher Nicky Brice said:
“Our pupils love being in the Big Brush Club, they have been great at listening and learning all about toothbrushing and it is lovely to see them getting their special toothbrushes out each day.
“We know that this programme will be making a massive difference to supporting our children to learn good habits and look after their teeth. Anything we can do to boost the health and wellbeing of the children at our school is important, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun and we know our Reception children are really enjoying their morning brushing sessions.”
Christina Worle, Dental Strategy Clinical Lead at NHS Gloucestershire said the Big Brush Club is really making a difference to the health of children in Gloucestershire by stopping children suffering dental problems before they start.
She said:
“More than 6,000 children across 113 schools and nurseries have been supported by the team from At Home Dental to learn all about good toothbrushing since we launched earlier this year.
“It is a simple step but will really help prevent dental decay and set each child up for life with good knowledge of how to look after their teeth. We hope we can get even more schools signed up in the new school year.”
As part of the Big Brush Club teachers are trained to hold short, daily toothbrushing sessions alongside lessons about self-care, healthy eating and reduction of sugar. This goes hand in hand with all schools being required to promote healthy eating, including sugar reduction and drinking water.
Reena Patel, South West Consultant in Dental Public Health at NHS England, said:
“Oral health is an integral part of children’s overall health and wellbeing, which affects their ability to learn, thrive and develop.
“Yet in the South West we still have very high rates of tooth decay, causing children pain, infections and difficulties with eating, sleeping, smiling and socialising, which can lead to significant school absence and parents taking time off work.
“The Big Brush Club is about supporting children and parents at an early stage to reduce sugar intake and create good habits at home that can last a lifetime.”
Councillor Paul Hodgkinson, cabinet member for Public Health at Gloucestershire County Council said:
“The Supervised Toothbrushing Programme helps children build a lifelong habit of looking after their teeth, which is encouraged in the classroom and continued in the family home. Good oral health is fundamental to a child’s overall health and wellbeing, confidence and ability to thrive at school.
“By working together with health and education professionals, we can reduce health inequalities and ensure every child has the opportunity to enjoy good oral health.”
Almost a fifth of 5-year-olds in the South West have tooth decay despite it being largely preventable. Tooth extraction is also the most common reason for 6 -to 10-year-olds being admitted to hospital.
Supervised toothbrushing is recommended by the National Institute for Care Excellence (NICE) as an evidence-based intervention to reduce dental decay in children.
An expert study concluded that every £1 spent on targeted supervised tooth brushing can after five years give a £3 return on investment and save 2,666 days of school absence for every 5,000 children.
Chief operations officer from At Home Dental, Hayley Beaumont, said:
“Our team of dental nurses work closely with teachers, pupils and parents to provide advice, support and training on promoting oral health.
“Each child is provided with a toothbrush and toothpaste pack to take home, encouraging toothbrushing to be a part of their normal daily routine.
“The children love doing it with their friends and the teachers report that it not only reduces problems with teeth but also school absence.”