Tiny teeth, big impact
Brushing our teeth is an essential life skill, and with the help of our community-based Oral Health Improvement Practitioners, nursery and primary school teachers across Birmingham and the Black Country are helping to keep children's teeth healthy and strong.
Our targeted supervised toothbrushing programme, Brilliant Brushers, aims to encourage children aged 3 to 5-years-old to get into the habit of brushing their teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, then spitting out the excess - not rinsing. Bringing along fun props and educational resources, Oral Health Improvement Practitioner for over 20 years, Miriam Mudzimba, recently visited a local nursery in Walsall to check up on how our Brilliant Brushers programme has been going.
Hayley Ostle, a teacher at Ogley Hay, Walsall, reflected on how well the children have taken to brushing their teeth since they started the programme two years ago. Forming a routine has proven to be extremely effective for the little locals. After morning registration, teachers will sing a song to prompt the class to pack up their toys and sit down to brush their teeth together.
Handing out personalised toothbrushes to each child, Hayley and her peers will put a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste onto a napkin, ready for the children to independently brush their own teeth for 2 minutes, with supervision from the teachers.
If you are finding toothbrush time difficult for your little ones, you are not alone. Visit the NHS' website for helpful tips and tricks to make toothbrushing easier and keep tooth decay at bay.
NHS dental care is free for children under 18-years-old. Search the NHS' website to find an NHS dentist near you.