BSPD provides children’s oral care guide in 8 additional languages

  Posted by: Dental Design      13th September 2022

With the introduction of 8 translations into languages most commonly spoken by asylum seeking children and their families, BSPD’s Practical Guide to Children’s Teeth is now available in a total of 9 languages.  Since its original publication in English in 2016 and then subsequent translation into Ukrainian earlier this year, the Society has recently undertaken translating this valuable patient-facing educational tool into an additional 7 languages spoken by asylum seeking children and young people in the UK.

The BSPD Practical Guide to Children’s Teeth, has become a key resources for parents and carers and is now available for free on the BSPD website for a wider audience, reaching some of the most vulnerable in our communities. The BSPD Practical Guide to Children’s Teeth, is now available on the BSPD website in the following 9 languages:

1. English
2. Ukrainian
3. Kurdish
4. Amharic
5. Persian
6. Arabic
7. Pashto
8. Dari
9. Tigrinya

Now translated into the languages commonly spoken by asylum seekers in the UK, parents and carers of children and young people either in the UK or abroad, can take advantage of this essential information guide which covers all aspects of oral healthcare for children from birth to age 16.  It also aims to bust some of the incorrect and sometimes damaging myths about teeth and oral care.

BSPD aiming for dental disease-free generation

With dental decay remaining as one of the most common reasons for a child to be admitted to a hospital in the UK, BSPD is taking positive steps to ensure that the key messages reach more parents from birth. The Society’s aim is to improve children’s oral health – and this mission is one the Society wants to share with a diverse global community, focusing on those children who are most vulnerable and in need.

The practical guide starts with advice on caring and cleaning your baby’s teeth, dummy usage, food and drink tips and also includes why fluoride is so vital.  It then moves on to cover caring for children’s teeth from age 6-plus up to the emergence of all adult teeth and how a young person should be shown how to take on the responsibility of caring for their teeth for life.  This resource also gives the five golden tips on teeth brushing covering appropriate amounts of fluoride based on age and when and how to brush baby teeth.

Professor Sondos Albadri, President, BSPD said: “Every child in the UK deserves good oral health and we know that our Practical Guide to Children’s Teeth is an invaluable tool for parents and carers allowing them to understand the essentials of dental care. The response to the introduction of our Ukrainian translation showed us that there is a real need for us to make this resource available to help support the oral health of vulnerable children and young people who are particularly in need right now. BSPD is focusing on ensuring oral health guidance for infants and children is easily accessible and freely available – to everyone.”

Professor Claire Stevens CBE, BSPD’s media spokesperson said: “Dental caries is largely a preventable disease and our guide covers the oral care essentials with a focus on maintaining a good dental care regime.  Our aim is to make dental services fair and equitable to all – and we must target the most vulnerable in our communities to allow them to access the information they need to help themselves keep their families’ teeth healthy.  This will benefit the individuals but also the dental health profession and the NHS – as we work our way back to being fighting fit.  All children between the ages of 0 and 16 deserve access to a good oral health start in life.”

The new translations of the guide are now available alongside the English version in the Patient resources area of the BSPD website – where they are available for consulting or downloading.

1. English version BSPD Practical Guide to Children’s Teeth
2. Ukrainian version BSPD Practical Guilde to Children’s Teeth
3. Kurdish version BSPD Practical Guide to Children’s Teeth
4. Amharic version BSPD Practical Guide to Children’s Teeth
5. Persian version BSPD Practical Guide to Children’s Teeth
6. Arabic version BSPD Practical Guide to Children’s Teeth
7. Pashto version BSPD Practical Guide to Children’s Teeth
8. Dari version BSPD Practical Guide to Children’s Teeth
9. Tigrinya version BSPD Practical Guide to Children’s Teeth