Children's oral health- all our responsibility

NHS figures show that there were 42,911 operations to remove children's teeth in England in 2016-17- up from 40,800 the previous year and 36,833 in 2012-13.

Many teeth extractions are due to tooth decay caused by the food and drink children consume and are therefore completely preventable. Almost a quarter (24.7%) of 5 year olds have tooth decay, so 1 in 4 children will have tooth decay when they start school. Each child with tooth decay will have on average 3 to 4 teeth affected. Tooth decay is 90% preventable by reducing sugar consumption, regular brushing, frequent exposure to fluoride and routine visits to the dentist. In line with PHE's All Our Health framework we will be discussing how we can all contribute to an improvement in children's oral health. We will be asking for ideas and examples of good practice from professionals and from the places our children live, go to school and visit: at an individual, community or population level.

Questions we will ask:

How are health visitors modelling and promoting good oral health in the early years. Are we using group opportunities, drop in clinics and developmental reviews to advise on diet and teeth cleaning and recommending registration with the dentist.

Are there initiatives to reduce tooth decay in your area e.g. provision of toothpaste and toothbrushes free of charge/ or at a reduced charge.

Do School Nurses have the capacity to deliver oral health sessions in school, do they have the resources to use for the sessions. How is oral health being promoted in schools?

Do AHPs use contact opportunities to promote oral health and do they have the resources for this e.g. speech therapists, physiotherapists, dieticians.

How could we spread the message at places that our children spend their time e.g. children's centres, leisure centres/gyms, holiday clubs, libraries, sports clubs. What are your thoughts on vending machines at these venues. 

How are hospitals supporting the initiative, are they promoting healthy snacks and drinks

Fluoridated water, do you live in an area where fluoride is added to the water or where it isn't. What are your thoughts on the benefits of fluoridation.