Torbay children tackle tooth decay

Hundreds of children from Torbay primary schools have been improving their dental health.

It is thanks to a programme designed to foster good oral health and combat decay.

More than 2,500 children in primary schools and nurseries across the Bay have benefitted from a new supervised toothbrushing scheme called the Big Brush Club.

Commissioned by the NHS and provided by At Home Dental, the Big Brush Club is the largest such evidence-based programme in England, being delivered to nearly 50,000 children across the South West. Torbay is paving the way as the council with the highest uptake across the region, with all eligible schools participating. 

The Big Brush Club promotes tooth brushing with fluoride toothpaste during the school day as well as educating on correct brushing techniques, oral health, and healthy eating. Training is also provided to teachers and staff by fully qualified dental nurses to enable them to run the programme themselves.

At Home Dental recently awarded their first Model Setting Certificate to Hayes School in Paignton in recognition of their strong uptake, excellent promotion, and follow-on work with parents and children.

Rachel Deller, Early Years Foundation Stage Lead at Hayes School, said: “The children like brushing in a social situation. It’s encouraging good oral hygiene; it's part of our early years curriculum, and it promotes good oral hygiene skills for life.”

Justin Marney, Director, At Home Dental, said: “The supervised toothbrushing programme has been a privilege to deliver. The enthusiasm with which schools, parents, and pupils have embraced the programme shows how strongly communities want to unite and improve children’s oral health.

“Regular tooth brushing with fluoride toothpaste is the single biggest preventative measure we can take to eradicate tooth decay, and the benefits for those participating in the scheme will be lifelong.”

Dr Lincoln Sargeant, Torbay’s Director of Public Health, said: “It’s great to see that this programme has been such a success in Torbay. This marks a significant step in the efforts to slow and reverse our high tooth extraction and caries rates. We aim for children to continue at home with the good start they’ve made in school.

“The alarming rate of hospital admissions in children and young people in Torbay for tooth decay has slowed since the inception of supervised tooth brushing, and we expect the decrease to continue in line with programme delivery. Hopefully we are now starting to see a turning point in addressing this important issue for child health in Torbay.”