Dental health

The Don’t Forget Your Toothbrush and Eat 5 A DAY Campaign launches in Blackburn during National Smile Month – nearly 2,000 junior school children set to benefit.

 Blackburn with Darwen Healthy Living and the Oral Health Promotion Department, Blackburn & East Lancashire Dental Service are helping to spread the message of good oral health in Blackburn North by organising the Don’t Forget Your Toothbrush and Eat 5 A DAY Campaign for National Smile Month.

 National Smile Month 2007 started on 13 May with the theme ‘Two Minutes, Twice a Day’. The campaign is going back to basics after the National Dental Survey 2006 found that over half of people are failing on basic oral healthcare.

 The aim of the Campaign, Don’t forget your toothbrush and eat 5 A DAY, is to raise awareness of dental health and 5 A DAY in children attending junior schools and altogether will target nearly 2,000 children.

 During the campaign, the Oral Health and Healthy Living team will spend a day in each of the 10 junior schools taking part and invite parents to a session promoting oral health and 5 A DAY.  Oral health promotion sessions will take place in the children’s classes and a nutritionist will promote the benefits of eating 5 A DAY.  Each child will receive a toothbrush and toothpaste and an information booklet about oral health and 5 A DAY. The booklet will contain a chart and stickers so that the child and parents can monitor when teeth are brushed and 5 A DAY intake. The booklet will be in English, Urdu and Gujarati.

 Cathy Watson from Blackburn with Darwen Healthy Living and Helen McGladdery from the Oral Health Promotion Department who have organised the campaign said, “Children in East Lancashire have one of the highest rates of tooth decay in the country. Good diet, effective tooth brushing and regular checks by a dentist from an early age can help to secure healthy teeth for life. This is important as teeth aren’t just needed for eating, they are also essential for clear speech, the correct placement of permanent teeth and appearance.  Dental disease is not an inevitable part of life and research has shown that much can be prevented by changing habits.”

 They add, “This year’s National Smile Month is focusing on the key messages of brush twice-a-day with fluoride toothpaste, cut down on how often you have sugary foods and drinks and visit the dentist regularly as often as they recommend.”

 Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, organisers of National Smile Month, commented: “We are delighted that Blackburn with Darwen Healthy Living and the Oral Health Promotion Department, Blackburn & East Lancashire Dental Service have joined the many dental practices, schools, health professionals and community groups promoting good oral healthcare beneath the umbrella that is National Smile Month.

 Mike Leaf, Director of Public Health for Blackburn with Darwen endorses the campaign.  He says, “A good oral healthcare routine can help guard against all sorts of oral and general health conditions from bad breath and decay to gum disease.  By promoting good oral healthcare with children attending junior schools, we hope to persuade them to adopt life-long good practices that will safeguard their dental health long term.”