Brush time for UK children

A NEW programme to teach proper tooth brushing technique to nursery and school children has been launched by the British Dental Health Foundation.

The oral health charity has developed Brush Time to help nursery and school staff teach children how to brush their teeth correctly and offer information and tools to develop engaging, interactive and informative oral health lessons for pupils.

The programme was developed in response to a recently published review by a Cochrane Oral Health Group which found that regular brushing with a fluoridated toothpaste results in 24 per cent fewer cavities than brushing with non-fluoridated toothpaste.

Brush Time – which is free to download – provides educators with a range of information and guidance on the type of toothpaste which should be used for children of certain ages, how to properly brush teeth, how to store toothbrushes between use to avoid infection, as well as frequently asked questions about children's dental hygiene.

Amanda Oakey, Director of Educational Resources at the British Dental Health Foundation, said: "Over the last 20 years children's oral health has generally improved, but the levels of dental decay in the first and second teeth it is still a major problem.

"A recent study of twelve year olds in England and Wales found that on average 38 per cent of 12 year olds had dental decay; this is a huge amount and is something which can quite easily be prevented with a comprehensive tooth brushing programme taught throughout schools and nurseries.

"Educators play a key role in all areas of children's development as they are a trusted and familiar figure for them to learn and develop important behaviour from. They therefore can make a real difference when it comes to nurturing children's tooth brushing habits and improving their dental lifelong health."

Access Brush Time at www.dentalbuddy.org/brushtime