A new toothbrushing programme for nursery and school staff is proving a valuable resource for hundreds of education and health organisations across the UK.
Brush Time, developed to advise nursery and school staff on how they can help children to brush their teeth properly, has been downloaded by almost five hundred organisations since its launch at the Nursery World Show in February.
The comprehensive toothbrushing programme, developed by leading health charity the Oral Health Foundation, has seen widespread positive feedback from the education profession, as well as being used as a resource by healthcare professionals visiting schools to help deliver oral health messages to children.
Amanda Oakey, director of educational resources at the Oral Health Foundation, was delighted with the initial impact of the resources and urged other organisations to embrace the free resource.
Amanda said: ‘The education profession has really started to take Brush Time to their heart. It has been recognised as a valuable way to communicate vital oral health messages to children from a very young age.
‘Getting toothbrushing messages to children is notoriously difficult but incredibly important. Almost all dental problems we face throughout our lives are entirely preventable and by getting children to understand this and also give them the tools to prevent problems from a young age we are giving them a leg up in better oral health for life.
‘I am encouraging all educators to take a look at Brush Time and see if it could play a part in their classroom. Teachers play a vital role in a children’s development as they are a trusted and familiar figure for them to learn and develop behaviour from. They can make a real difference when it comes to nurturing children’s toothbrushing behaviour and improving their oral lifelong health.
‘With more than one in three 12-year-olds suffering from dental decay we have only just scratched the surface and are determined to get Brush Time used in many more schools nationwide so we can help put a stop to this needless suffering.’
Brush Time is suitable for all children of all ages in both part-time and full-time education and care, and is freely downloadable.
Amongst a huge range of information, the programme includes important 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.
To download Brush Time, visit www.dentalbuddy.org/brushtime
