Children living in parts of Felixstowe are being given the confidence to look after their teeth thanks to two projects funded by East Suffolk Council.
The projects which are helping both children in pre-school and key stage one to care for their oral health as well as their general wellbeing are being supported by £3,209.74 in funding from the Felixstowe Peninsula Community Partnership.
Starting within the most deprived area of Felixstowe, the projects which began in February aim to help low-income families to learn about the importance of caring for their teeth as well as giving them the confidence to visit their dentist regularly.
The first project is being delivered by Community Dental Services CIC in primary schools to raise awareness of the importance of dental health by delivering a supervised brushing programme with training for staff and volunteers to encourage good brushing. Delivered in a fun and engaging way, children are given educational resources to help them learn about oral hygiene and to promote conversations between children and their families on health and wellbeing. Funding from the project has helped to pay for 800 oral health packs which will be handed out by pastoral care staff to children most in need to help them to care for their teeth at home.
Children experiencing any problems with their oral hygiene will be referred to a mobile dental unit, with appointments offered during school holidays to give vulnerable treatment the urgent treatment they need. Those in need of routine oral health checks will also be referred to Brook Lane Dental Surgery.
The second project led by Brook Lane Dental Surgery is delivering a similar programme but to younger children from the age of two within independent pre-schools in Felixstowe, with the aim of instilling the importance of oral hygiene from an early age.
Led by the Tooth Fairy - Doctor Varsha, ten-minute fun and engaging sessions teach children about the importance of good dental hygiene, with each child offered a two-minute oral health check. Every child taking part will be given a dental pack which contains toothbrushes, toothpaste, disclosing tablets which highlight areas of plaque missed by brushing, a timer, along with information on oral hygiene. Children in need of dental care are also referred to the mobile dental unit and Brook Lane Dental Surgery.
Cllr Rosie Smithson, Chair of East Suffolk Council’s Felixstowe Peninsula Community Partnership said:
“It’s brilliant to see the success these two projects are having on children’s oral health in Felixstowe.
“We want to give children the best start in life in terms of establishing good oral hygiene habits, so it’s great to be able to reach children – including those from the most in need families. Tooth decay can have a detrimental impact on children’s health and wellbeing, but this can be prevented by encouraging children to care for their teeth and by giving pre-schools and schools the training to pass on this education to more children and their families.
“We hope that following the success of both projects which are planned to finish in July, we can roll them out further to reach more children in the peninsula to give children and their families the confidence to pay regular visits to their dentist.”
Dr Varsha Tulse from Brook Lane Dental Surgery said:
“We absolutely love visiting local pre-schools as the Tooth Fairy team. It is such a rewarding initiative, Julie and I truly enjoy spending time with the children and helping them develop fun, healthy oral care habits from a young age. Teaching children how to care for their teeth early on can make a lifelong difference, helping to build confidence, healthy routines, and lifelong smiles. It is always wonderful to see the children so engaged and excited during our visits.”