Half a million children across the UK will benefit from the BrightBites oral health education programme, thanks to £1.2m of newly pledged support for the next three years from dental payment plan provider, Denplan.
The commitment is announced as data[1] shows 1.1 million children are living in hygiene poverty in Great Britain, with children in deprived areas twice as likely to have decayed teeth as those in the most affluent areas[2]. Tooth decay was the most common reason for hospital admission for children aged five to nine – with 19,381 cases reported in 2024[3].
The desperate need for better oral health support for children led to the Labour government introducing supervised toothbrushing schemes for three- to five-year-olds in early years settings for children[4] in the most deprived areas.
Designed for primary school-aged children, BrightBites is a fun and informative programme that covers toothbrushing, teeth names and functions, sugar awareness and the importance of regular dental appointments. Since Dentaid and Denplan’s collaboration began in November 2023, together they have reached 112,000 children with the programme being delivered within schools, nurseries and clubs for low-income families to improve oral hygiene.
To celebrate the new commitment, Denplan colleagues, will be volunteering their time by visiting 14 different primary schools, aiming to reach approx. 2,800 children in one day throughout Andover and surrounding villages, with Paul Scheier, CEO of Simplyhealth joining BrightBites volunteers to teach children about toothbrushing and the importance of oral health.
Paul Schreier, CEO at Simplyhealth and Denplan, said: “There is an urgent need for dental support for children to improve their dental health. Through the provision of oral health education in schools, BrightBites can make a huge difference to children’s lives, helping to prevent needless suffering from leaving dental issues unaddressed.
“Good oral hygiene practice, such as toothbrushing and regular dentist check-ups that continue into adulthood, will help improve children’s oral health and equip the next generation of adults with good habits to prevent the need for urgent or emergency treatment.”
Beyond the initial in-person sessions, BrightBites also provides teachers and parents with resources designed to work alongside the curriculum to help them encourage children to improve their toothbrushing. Each child is also given a toothbrush and toothpaste to take back home. This is an important aspect of the programme’s prevention aims, with some families unable to afford oral hygiene products.
One in five (21%) parents said their children brush less than twice per day or not at all, according to last year’s Oral Health Survey[5] from Denplan. BrightBites ensures that every child who participates is given a toothbrush and toothpaste to encourage them to be enthusiastic about their oral health journey, with around 220,000 items gifted so far as part of the programme.
As of May 2025, BrightBites has reached 115,512 children with 970 volunteer visits having taken place.
Lianne Scott-Munden, dental nurse and Clinical Services Lead at Denplan, said: “Regular and proper toothbrushing is a vital skill that needs to be taught from a young age. Many children in deprived areas need extra support from initiatives such as BrightBites to set them up for healthy teeth in the future.”
Andy Evans, CEO of Dentaid, said: “One of the most shocking things we’ve found since launching the BrightBites programme is the extent of hygiene poverty. We’ve heard of teachers giving toothbrushes and toothpaste to their students and families where children don’t have toothbrushes of their own. We must do more to prevent tooth decay in children before it leads to irreversible problems. Education is often the best form of prevention, and our BrightBites programme looks to help instil lifelong good toothbrushing habits from a young age.”
With the help of Denplan and Dentaid, BrightBites aims to reach 500,000 children by July 2028, visiting 9,300 children per month at 78 venues – all to help reduce oral hygiene poverty in the UK.
