A Unique Child: Dental Health - Smile!

National Smile Month, from 19 May to 19 June, will provide early years practitioners with the chance to reinforce important messages about good dental health to children and their families.

Organised by the British Dental Health Foundation (BDHF), the UK's largest oral health campaign has three main messages.

• Brush your teeth for two minutes twice a day using a fluoride toothpaste.
• Cut down on sugary food and drinks.
• Visit your dentist regularly, as often as they recommend.

For ideas on how to take part, see EYFS resources at www.dentalbuddy.org/index.php/early-years or organise a 'smileathon' (see www.nationalsmilemonth.org).

PROGRESS BUT ...

In some respects, there is much to smile about, as dental health and hygiene are improving across the UK. According to the BDHF:

• the number of adults with 21 or more natural teeth has risen to 86 per cent in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In 1978, this figure was as low as 68 per cent in Northern Ireland
• two in three 12-year-olds are now free of visible dental decay, compared to fewer than one in ten in 1973.

But there is still more work to do. According to the BDHF, a third of all children starting school have tooth decay, and many adults remain poor role models for young children.

• Adults have an average of seven fillings.
• A quarter don't brush their teeth twice a day.
• While almost 60 per cent of adults say that they floss regularly, UK sales suggest that the true figure is more like five per cent.

Poverty remains a primary cause of poor oral health, which studies continue to link to serious health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, strokes and other major conditions.

The Executive Summary - State of Oral Health in Europe report notes, 'In the past 30 years, despite major improvements ... it is evident that oral diseases and oral health inequalities, remain a significant public health problem in Europe.'

MORE INFORMATION

• National Smile Month, www.nationalsmilemonth.org
• The British Dental Health Foundation, www.dentalhealth.org
• The Executive Summary - State of Oral Health in Europe, is at www.oralhealthplatform.eu/resource/platform-documents
• To read about a dental health programme, see www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/feature/1097590/ unique-child-nutrition-track.