The British Society of Paediatric Dentistry (BSPD) has announced significant donations from Colgate’s Bright Smiles, Bright Futures initiative and Henry Schein’s corporate citizenship programme, Henry Schein Cares, to provide vital oral‑health support to children and young people diagnosed with cancer across the UK. These donations will directly strengthen the national roll‑out of Mini Mouth Care Matters (Mini MCM), improving mouth care for medically complex children.
Mini MCM trains multidisciplinary teams across the country carry out a simple ‘lift the lip’ check to spot early oral health problems that could affect treatment or quality of life. The programme also promotes essential preventive care, including twice‑daily toothbrushing with fluoride toothpaste. Since its launch, Mini MCM has trained professionals across 37 NHS Trusts and expanded beyond hospital wards into health visiting, palliative and end‑of‑life care, and special educational settings.
Colgate has committed to donating toothbrushes and toothpaste for every child and young person with a new cancer diagnosis in the UK – around 4,000 children and young people over the coming year, across all four nations.
This one-year commitment ensures that every newly diagnosed child receives age‑appropriate oral care products at the start of their treatment journey. The donation follows Colgate’s major contribution to the Government’s Supervised Toothbrushing Initiative in England in 2025, further demonstrating the company’s long‑standing commitment to improving children’s oral health across the UK.
Each child will also receive a printed copy of a new Oral Health fact sheet co‑produced by BSPD, CCLG: The Children & Young People’s Cancer Association, and the Faculty of Dental Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons of England. Henry Schein UK will fund printing of the fact sheet, which features Mini MCM, and will supply goody bags containing Colgate oral care products for children. Young Lives vs Cancer will fill and distribute the goody bags through its Social Work Teams in primary treatment centres across the UK.
Speaking at BSPD’s Annual Scientific Conference in York today, outgoing President Dr Oosh Devalia OBE shared the announcement and premiered a new video, co-created by CCLG and BSPD under the leadership of BSPD’s Dr Claudia Heggie and featuring Dr Devalia’s children, to support the oral health of children diagnosed with cancer.
Together, these donations and resources ensure that every child and young person diagnosed with cancer receives essential oral health support at a critical moment in their care.
Dr Oosh Devalia OBE, outgoing BSPD President, said: “BSPD is delighted and deeply grateful to both Colgate and Henry Schein for these generous and meaningful donations. For a child or young person diagnosed with cancer, good oral health is not a luxury – it is essential to their overall health outcomes, their comfort, and their ability to tolerate treatment. These donations ensure that thousands of families across the UK receive vital oral‑care support at one of the most challenging moments of their lives, and we are profoundly thankful for the commitment shown by both organisations.”
“I recall numerous occasions as a hospital dental consultant being called to assess a child just before their cancer treatment was due to start, only to find significant tooth decay. The real tragedy is that treatment may then have to be postponed, because the decay poses a serious infection risk. Dental decay is almost entirely preventable if basic oral healthcare practices are followed. Seeing my daughter through her own cancer treatment, and witnessing how easily mouth care can be deprioritised during long hospital stays, has strengthened my resolve to push for the national roll-out of Mini MCM.”
Emma Van Essen, Scientific Affairs Lead at Colgate‑Palmolive, said: “Colgate is deeply committed to improving children’s oral health, particularly for those facing the toughest health challenges. Through Bright Smiles, Bright Futures, we are proud to donate toothbrushes and toothpaste to every child and young person diagnosed with cancer this year. This donation builds on our contribution to the Government’s Supervised Toothbrushing Initiative and reflects our belief that every child deserves a healthy smile and the best possible start in life.”
Victoria Goodall, Managing Director, Henry Schein UK, said: “Henry Schein is honoured to support children and young people undergoing cancer treatment through this donation. Good oral health plays a vital role in overall wellbeing, yet it can be easily overlooked during long and complex medical journeys. By providing co‑branded goody bags and supporting the distribution of essential oral‑care products and educational materials, we hope to make a meaningful difference to families at an incredibly challenging time. This donation reflects our long‑standing commitment to advancing health equity and supporting the most vulnerable in our communities.”
Naomi Shefford-Thomas, Health Information Officer, CCLG The Children & Young People’s Cancer Association, said: “We are proud and happy that our trusted information, written by our expert members, will reach so many families of children and young people who are diagnosed with cancer through this initiative. We know that cancer treatment can affect oral health, and looking after the mouth and teeth is very important. We hope that our information along with the goody bags will help support families to help take care of their child’s mouth during treatment.”
This announcement follows the recent recognition of Dr Oosh Devalia OBE in the 2026 King’s Birthday Honours for her outstanding contribution to children and young people’s oral health. Dr Devalia created Mini MCM in 2019 to embed evidence‑based mouth care into routine healthcare for medically complex children. Her leadership has transformed national understanding of the role of oral health in patient safety and quality of care. The work became deeply personal when her own daughter was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2024, reinforcing her commitment to ensuring that no child’s medical treatment is delayed or complicated by preventable dental disease.
