It’s time to make a difference – Helen Minnery

  Posted by: Dental Design      23rd March 2018

Right from a baby’s very first breath, parents, guardians, family and healthcare professionals should be working together to maintain that child’s health. It’s important that dental health is recognised as part of this, but while we understand that the mouth is the gateway to the body, not all members of the public appreciate the impact it can have on general well-being.

This has become glaringly obvious in the last couple of years by the state of children’s dental health across the UK. The figures, quite frankly, are disgusting and they are showing no signs of improvement.

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, the British Society for Paediatric Dentistry and the office of the Chief Dental Officer put on a joint event in January this year entitled, ‘Insights: Why Children’s Oral Health is Everybody’s Business’. Its aim was to bring together a multi-disciplinary audience to update everyone on the facts and figures, and encourage us all to work together for the benefit of our young generation and those to come. Presented by highly prominent speakers from each field, sessions considered the current state of and inequalities in children’s oral health, as well as suggesting ways in which we can meet the existing challenges.

This collaborative approach involving different professional sectors is a positive approach to finding solutions. As with public awareness in other health matters, only by working together can we improve widespread understanding of the importance of oral health from a young age and therefore affect behavioural change throughout society.

First Smiles campaign

This aligns well with the BSDHT’s own ethos – we are constantly encouraging dental hygienists and dental therapists to do what they can in areas such as children’s dental health. We strive to give our members the support they need to make a real difference to the lives of their patients.

Our First Smiles campaign is a great example. It is designed to encourage dental professionals to go out into their local communities and interact with young people and their parents on a more personal level. It offers an ideal opportunity to get to know local people and to help them improve their dental health through bespoke advice and check-ups. It is also a good chance to educate people on the importance of effective oral health routines at home.

Last year, many professionals taking part in the First Smiles initiative worked with local schools. They spoke to children about diet and oral hygiene, including dental health habits, brushing technique, ‘good’ and ‘bad’ food and drink, the dangers of sugar and why you should visit the dental practice for regular check-ups.

Forming good habits

Once again this year, First Smiles is all about instilling good habits from an early age and giving children the information and tools they need to enjoy the benefits of good dental health as they grow up. The BSDHT will be supporting those who participate with template letters for local schools, nurseries or community dental teams. Our sponsors – Oral-B and Brushlink – will kindly be donating some goodies as well. Oral B toothbrushes and toothpaste will be provided to leave behind with the children participating and there will be a Brushlink device available on a first-come, first-serve basis for successful applicants. The Dental Buddy downloads are also available for free, offering further information for children of different ages and showing them what they need to know.

The official First Smiles day is Friday 15 June 2018, but it’s no problem for professionals to arrange events or activities around this, as the objective is simply to raise awareness and help the young generation grow up healthier. It’s easy to get involved and I would encourage you all to make this another successful Frist Smiles campaign by building partnerships with your local schools and nurseries.

Tackling child dental health problems must be a priority for the dental and healthcare professions. By working together and participating in the various programmes and initiatives run throughout the year, we really could make a difference.