Child Dental Health – Decay in Britain
It is estimated by gov.uk that one in four children at age 5 suffer from tooth decay. According to the Oral Health Foundation, an average of three school days per year are missed due to tooth decay per child, and according to the BDA, it is the number 1 cause for hospital admission in children. Being dental professionals, we all know how traumatic tooth decay can be, especially for young people. From pain to bad breath, to missed school and social opportunities, the impact of poor oral health on young people is profound and difficult to summarise.
So, because of this, we’ve teamed up with British charity, Teeth Team, whose mission is to improve oral health in young people through education and material support. Today, we’ll be talking about Teeth Team, what actions they take to improve oral health, and more.
Before We Get Started...
Before we get started, here are some other blogs on similar topics which may interest you. If you’d like to hear our tips on practitioner-patient communication, or refresh yourself on the consequences of poor oral hygiene, we have several blogs on these matters. We’ve also written blogposts on the early warning signs of Oral Cancer and how to handle Medical Emergencies in the practice. Finally, if you’d like to keep up to date with all things DD, we have a corporate news page where we post updates on everything from our award victories (such as our Outstanding Business Of The Year 2024 victory) to our acquisitions.
Who are Teeth Team?
Founded in 2010, the Teeth Team is a Programme aimed at primary-school age schoolchildren, with a heavy emphasis on giving children the knowledge and equipment they need to improve their oral health. Based in City of Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire in conjunction with the 543 Dental Centre, the Teeth Team work with schools to provide supervised brushing workshops, clinical dental assessments, signposting for primary and secondary dental care access, and more.
Teeth Team were founded in 2010 to tackle concerns regarding young people’s oral health in Hull and the surrounding areas; since then they’ve been busy making a splash in their local community and beyond. Working closely with schools and nearby practices, the Teeth Team emphasises the need for community in dealing with tooth decay, helping to break down barriers between children and their local dentists. This helps to gently encourage dentist-averse children to open up and trust dentists, as well as improve the condition of their teeth.
How Teeth Team Fight Tooth Decay
Teeth Team help to address Tooth Decay in young people through several methods. Though, they have a standardised list of what actions they take when they visit primary schools. We quote:
“Step 1: We give an oral health education and cross-infection control talk to school staff.
Step 2: We talk to the class to explain what we’re going to do and teach the dry brushing technique.
Step 3: Dental nurses apply fluoride varnish twice a year for children with a signed consent form.
Step 4: Dentists visit twice a year to carry out a basic examination and check the children’s teeth.”
This is a simple yet effective care plan.
Our work with the Teeth Team
Our support for the Teeth Team has predominantly been through donations and discounts. Over the last four years we’ve provided the Teeth Team with almost £40,000-worth of key dental supplies at a special discounted rate. This includes toothbrushes, toothpaste, Duraphat Fluoride Varnish, micro applicator brushes, dental mouth mirrors, and UnoDent products such as Nitrile Gloves. We’ve tried to provide supplies for each point in Teeth Team’s educational process, from giving Aquafresh for children to use at home every night, or providing spare brushes for supervised brushing, to even providing nitrile gloves for examination.
This support has allowed the Teeth Team to distribute essential dental supplies to children who may need it most, as well as supply and support their supervised brushing workshops.
The Chair of Teeth Team, Chris Groombridge, had this to say about our collaboration:
“The support from DD Group over the past four years has been invaluable in allowing Teeth Team to distribute free toothbrushes and toothpaste to primary school children, and especially to those in the most deprived areas, and to continue providing clinical dental assessments, application of fluoride varnish and subsequent signposting for children to access primary and secondary dental care.”
“While Teeth Team has worked hard to make a difference, tooth decay continues to be one of the biggest health issues impacting the future health and prosperity of children in the UK. With the continued support of DD Group, as well as that of valued partners, individuals and other independent organisations, we are focused more than ever before on improving the dental health of children across the country.”
- Chris Groombridge, Chair of Teeth Team and Joint Managing Director at the 543 Dental & Implant Centre.
What You Can Do to Help
Preventing tooth decay in children isn’t something any single one of us can do alone, which is why joining a community effort is one of the most effective actions anyone can take to address this issue. The simplest, and most direct action you can take to help Teeth Team is to donate. All donations, big and small all go towards helping children improve their oral health. Beyond donations, raising awareness of tooth decay in young people and the charities who are fighting hard to tackle this devastating issue is another action which helps. If you have a social media following, know someone who does, or have any way of getting the word out to your community, raising awareness is a great start. Finally, if you’re looking to potentially volunteer with Teeth Team, please reach out to them on their website using the link below.
