Children being taught how to brush teeth correctly

A father and son brushing their teeth at home

A new service is teaching children aged two to five how to brush their teeth correctly.

Packs to aid toothbrushing at home are being given to children aged four and under who go to nursery or school and give families helpful advice and information about oral hygiene to help them to look after children’s teeth.

Fluoride varnishing is routinely carried out twice a year on children over three-years-old during dental appointments. The process applies a protective layer on children’s teeth which, in addition to tooth brushing, reduces tooth decay by 35%.

For children aged three to five who haven’t visited the dentist in 12 months, fluoride varnishing can be carried out at nursery or school. Parents will be sent a form to complete to see if their child is eligible and to get their permission to apply the varnish. Parents and grandparents should ask their dentist about fluoride varnishing.

Councillor Sara Rowbotham, cabinet member for health and wellbeing at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “Improving the health of Rochdale’s young children is a key priority for us and oral hygiene plays an important role in that.

“Almost half of our 5 year olds start school with dental decay so we ask that parents allow their children to access all the services available and remember the importance of taking children to the dentist once a year.

“Tackling unhealthy habits is a crucial preventative measure to protect our young children against poor dental health and weight gain so we continue to prioritise working with schools to implement healthy lifestyles initiatives to ensure children grow up to be healthy adults.”

Anyone with young children or grandchildren should keep an eye out for forms coming home in their bags from school or nursery to keep up to date with oral hygiene activities.

The new service is provided by the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership.

The information packs are provided by Living Well, Rochdale Borough Council’s healthy lifestyles provider.