UK - Pupils in Winthorpe learn importance of cleaning their teeth

Pupils at Seathorne Primary School ready to learn how to clean their teeth properly. ANL-160429-163012001
16:58Wednesday 04 May 2016

Dental nurses from Skegness are working with local primary schools to reduce the shocking rise in hospital admissions of under 10s needing extractions.

A government-led Lincolnshire Smiles camaign visited Seathorne Primary School on Friday, to encourage pupils to clean their teeth at lunchtime as well as at home.

Stacey Yarnold and Lily Stroud of the town’s My Denist Practices - Tower Gardens and Skegness Family Dental Centre – went along armed with tooth brushes and toothpaste for everyone to show caring for your teeth can be fun and no-one has to be frightened to visit the dentists.

Shocking statistics about the rising number of young children being forced to have decayed teeth removed in hospital were released last week.

New figures show that nationally there were 33,000 procedures last year. The figures from the Health and Social Care Information Centre show rising numbers of children aged 10 and under needing teeth taken out.

Stacey said: “Parents often say they can’t understand why their children’s teeth are decaying because they clean their teeth every day.

“But if children snack all day their teeth are constantly under acid attack.

“Having no fluoride in the water in Lincolnshire doesn’t help. The only fluoride children get is in toothpaste.

“Children shouldn’t have to be scared to go to the dentists, but if they have an unpleasant experience like having to go to hospital it can put them off.

“We are working with schools across the district to show children how to brush their teeth properly and explain why they should do it every day. Every child will be given a toothbrush and toothpaste for school and a toothbrush to take home.”

Gina Hargrave, oral health promoter at Lincolnshire Community Health Services Trust is training the dental practice staff on how to promote oral health to five year olds.She said: “This is a great way for children and their parents to understand how brushing teeth every day with a fluoride toothpaste helps to protect teeth from tooth decay. Prevention is so much better than cure. Working together with parents, schools and local dental practices we can make sure that children in Lincolnshire have something to smile about.”