Community Dental Services CIC (CDS) has hosted a visit by Cllr Shah from Slough Borough Council to showcase it’s Supervised Toothbrushing programme.
Visiting Baylis Court Nursery, accompanied by Nicola Milner, Chief Operating Officer for Oral Health; Jenny Baitup, Strategic Oral Health Lead; and Lauren Davidson, Oral Health Improvement Practitioner; Cllr Shah observed how CDS’s supervised toothbrushing programme is supporting a long-term reduction in tooth decay across Slough.
With 34.9% of 5-year-olds in Slough experiencing tooth decay* – 11% higher than the national average, early intervention through supervised toothbrushing plays an important role.
Jennifer Baitup, Strategic Oral Health Lead at CDS said: “Tooth decay is the leading cause of child hospital admissions in England. Supervised toothbrushing helps instil positive oral health practices and supports a reduction in the number of children experiencing tooth decay. CDS is proud to support over 160 children in Slough, helping them learn how to care for their teeth and make healthier choices around sugar, thereby promoting good oral health from an early age and reducing the risk of future dental problems. Visiting Baylis Court Nursery was an excellent opportunity to see our programme in action and an opportunity to share valuable insights into what works well when engaging parents and supporting good oral health habits from an early age.”
Cllr Ishrat Shah, Lead Member for Public Health, Wellbeing and Equalities, Slough Borough Council, said: “I was pleased to visit Baylis Court Nursery to see the great work of the CDS Supervised Toothbrushing programme, as one of my priorities is to improve the oral health of children in Slough. Early intervention stops preventable dental work, so I would encourage parents to register their children with dentists and guide them to practice good oral hygiene from an early age. I am very proud of our Public Health Team and CDS who continue to deliver educational sessions at early years settings and schools, creating awareness in our most vulnerable areas, a big thank you also, to all of the settings and schools who have taken part.”
Aimee McElwee, Head Teacher of Baylis Court Nursery said: “We really enjoyed the recent Councillor’s visit and being able to showcase the toothbrushing skills of our two-year-olds. The Oral Health team have been so supportive in our toothbrushing journey and at each step of the way have provided advice, guidance and resources so that we could implement the toothbrushing successfully. The children really love brushing their teeth each day and we have noticed improvements in their toothbrushing skills and in their understanding of good oral health. They particularly love the toothbrushing song! The project is vital to support our families gain a better understanding of good oral health habits and enable the children the skills to brush successfully, hopefully to avoid major dental work in the future.”
* National Dental Epidemiology Programme (NDEP) for England: oral health survey of 5-year-old children 2022
