The British Association of Dental Nurses (BADN), the professional association for dental nurses in the UK, welcomes today’s announcement from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) that a record £11 million will be spent to improve children’s oral health in England, funding a targeted supervised toothbrushing scheme for three, four and five year olds in England.
This Government funding, together with corporate commitment from Colgate-Palmolive, will ensure the significant improvement of children’s oral health in the next two to five years, as schoolchildren and those in early years settings will receive supervised toothbrushing and a supply of toothbrushes and toothpaste to take home.
BADN President Preetee Hylton RDN said “As both a dental nurse and oral health educator, I am excited to support this vital initiative to introduce supervised toothbrushing in early years settings. Tooth decay is one of the most preventable health issues affecting children today, and this programme provides a proactive solution to address it. Through strong collaboration between dental professionals, educators, parents, and local authorities, we can develop clear solutions, provide the necessary training, and create a united front to overcome these barriers.
“As President of the British Association of Dental Nurses, I also strongly support the expansion of community water fluoridation as a proven, effective, and safe measure to combat tooth decay. Alongside supervised toothbrushing, this is a powerful step towards reducing the shocking number of children suffering from this preventable oral health disease. No child should have to endure pain or hospital treatment for tooth decay when we have the tools to stop it. By reaching an additional 1.6 million people, this initiative will help close the gap in oral health inequalities, ensuring brighter, healthier futures for children across the North-East and beyond.
“We have the opportunity to guide and support these initiatives, ensuring that every family has the tools and knowledge to build a lifetime of good oral health.”
