Oral Health Promotion & Awareness Slough

This article has been brought to you by Slough Borough Council's Public Health Officer CYP, Byron Taylor, for the attention of All Schools.

As summer holidays beckon, you will all no doubt be busy preparing to welcome children to a busy, and fun, few weeks of holiday clubs and activities. We understand that staff delivering these sessions have a multitude of responsibilities, and for ease of reference we have collated the information below – which includes the 3 key messages for good oral health: Toothbrushing, being “sugar-smart” and visiting the dentist.

Oral health is a key strategic priority for Slough and the borough has high rates of tooth decay in the 0–5-year-old population, we are keen to tackle this by promoting better awareness of oral health across our various campaigns not only this summer but ongoing in the borough.

The advice for children aged 0-18years, and references for evidence are sourced from Delivering Better Oral Health. An evidence-based toolkit for prevention. (OHID, DHSC, NHSE & NHSI Ed4, 2021).

Toothbrushing & toothpaste

Brush teeth at least twice a day, last thing at night or before bedtime, and on least one other occasion
Use toothpaste containing at least: 1,000ppm fluoride (0-6 year olds) or 1,350-1,500ppm fluoride (7+year olds)
Use a smear of toothpaste (0-2year olds) or a pea-sized amount of toothpaste (3+year olds)
Parents and carers should assist toothbrushing for 0-6year olds, and assist if required for 7+year olds
Spit out after brushing – do not rinse

Resources

Children's teeth - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Top Tips For Teeth | Campaigns | Campaign Resource Centre (dhsc.gov.uk)

Editorial content | Top Tips For Teeth | Campaign Resource Centre (dhsc.gov.uk)