The supervised toothbrushing programme will be rolled out in early years settings and primary schools, with funding available from April, helping hundreds of thousands of children aged between 3- and 5-years-old to develop positive brushing habits.
The most common reason children aged 5 to 9 being are admitted to hospital is to have treatment for decayed teeth. Latest data shows one in four children aged 5 have experienced tooth decay in England, with higher rates of up to one in three in more deprived areas.
The scheme will help tackle these levels of poor health by ensuring they get the support they need to learn positive habits and prevent tooth decay – in turn avoiding related illness and poor health later in life.
To deliver the scheme, the government is investing a total of £11m in local authorities across England to deploy supervised toothbrushing in schools and nurseries that voluntarily sign up. Local authorities will work to identify early years settings in target areas and encourage them to enrol.
Health Minister Stephen Kinnock said: ‘It is shocking that a third of five-year-olds in the most deprived areas have experience of tooth decay - something we know can have a lifelong impact on their health.
‘It's why we're delivering supervised toothbrushing to young children and families who are most in need of support as part of our wider plans to revive the oral health of the nation.'
Cllr David Fothergill, chairman of the Local Government Association's Community Wellbeing Board, said: ‘This investment will help address health inequalities by supporting children in the most deprived areas to develop positive brushing habits, preventing tooth decay and reducing the need for hospital treatment.
‘This funding builds on the excellent work already being done by many councils up and down the country to improve children's oral health. The flexibility in how the funding can be used is particularly appreciated, allowing councils to tailor programmes to best meet local needs. Councils are committed to playing their part in improving children's oral health and reducing inequalities.'
To support the scheme, the government has also agreed an innovative partnership with Colgate-Palmolive, which has committed to donate more than 23 million toothbrushes and toothpastes over the next five years. It is also providing educational materials and a public facing children's oral health campaign supporting the NHS, developed with its experience of global oral health education.
The resources are expected to reach up to 600,000 children each year and provide families with the support they need to ensure positive behaviours continue at home and over the school holidays.
Colgate-Palmolive's chairman, president and chief executive, Noel Wallace, added: ‘With the launch of the supervised brushing scheme, this partnership will be able to make a real impact in preventing tooth decay and ensuring brighter futures for generations to come.
‘We want all children, regardless of needs or circumstances, to be fully equipped with the information and tools they need to keep improving their oral health every day.'
The scheme is being rolled out in collaboration with the Department for Education and early years providers are being required to promote good oral health among attending children.
Jason Wong, chief dental officer for England, said: ‘Supervised toothbrushing is a proven, evidence-based health intervention, and is expected to deliver measurable improvements to children's oral health and reductions in oral health inequalities from between two and three years after launch.'
Every £1 spent on supervised toothbrushing is expected to save £3 in avoided treatment costs – amounting to over £34m over the next five years.
Data published last week showed more than 49,000 young people under-19 were admitted to hospital for tooth extraction between in the financial year ending 2024.
In addition, the government has confirmed that, following public consultation last year, it is going ahead with the expansion of community water fluoridation across the North-East of England.
Water fluoridation is the process of adding fluoride to public water supplies to prevent tooth decay. Around one in 10 people in England currently have fluoride added to their drinking water supplies.
The expansion of water fluoridation in the North-East is expected to reach an additional 1.6 million people.
REACTION
Dr Karen Juggins, consultant orthodontist at University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust, said: ‘It is great that the Government recognises the importance of this education in a school setting and that the supervised brushing scheme, will hopefully make a real impact in preventing tooth decay and ensuring brighter futures for all children, regardless of needs or circumstances.'
Jason Elsom, chief executive of children's charity Parentkind, said: ‘It's important that we get the basics right for our children, and things like poor personal or oral hygiene can impact a child's early years, and beyond.
‘But children all develop in different ways, and at a different pace, and so I commend this initiative to help every child understand the importance of oral hygiene at an early age.'
Dr Urshla Devalia, spokesperson for the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry, said: ‘We are excited to see this commitment to improving children's oral health, but there is a lot of work to do, and BSPD is rolling up its sleeves to play its part. This is the decisive action we have been pushing for.'
Anna Gardiner, deputy director of health & wellbeing at the National Children's Bureau, said: ‘We welcome the government's plans to introduce a supervised brushing programme in early years settings, and we look forward to seeing its impact, particularly for those growing up in deprived areas who disproportionately suffer from poor oral health.'
June O'Sullivan, chief executive of London Early Years Foundation, said: ‘At LEYF, we've seen first-hand how daily brushing in nurseries transforms children's oral health and wellbeing. Scaling this nationally will give hundreds of thousands of children the best start in life.'
