Oral health for primary school age

Looking after teeth and gums                                                                            

• Oral health is part of the national curriculum in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 science and in Relationships Education, Relationships, and Sexual Education (RSE) and Health Education
• Tooth decay can cause pain, infection, sleepless nights, time off nursery/school and time off work for parents/carers.  
• Small children often need a general anaesthetic to have decayed teeth removed, which can be an unpleasant experience and is not without risk
• Tooth decay is still the most common reason for hospital admissions in the 6-10 year old age group

• Keeping our teeth healthy – Change4Life KS1 and 2 science lesson

Visiting the dentist:                                                                                            

• NHS dental treatment is free for children under 18 or under 19 and in qualifying full-time education
• Going to the dentist regularly helps the child become familiar with the dental environment, and enables the dentist to pick up on any problems as early as possible
• The dentist can paint fluoride varnish on children’s teeth to protect them from tooth decay.  All children over 3 should have it applied at least twice a year, and it may also be used for younger children at high risk of tooth decay.  Parents/carers should ask their dentist about fluoride varnish

Toothbrushing                                                                                                

• Children aged 3 and over should use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste containing more than 1000ppm fluoride
• Use a toothpaste containing 1350-1500ppm fluoride for maximum prevention.  Most ‘own brand’ supermarket toothpastes are suitable and more affordable
• Brush all the surfaces of the teeth and gumline in small circles for around 2 minutes, twice a day - just before bedtime and at another time that fits in with your routine
• Spit out the toothpaste and do not rinse!

Diet:                                                                                                                  

Reduce the amount and frequency of having foods and drinks that contain sugar, only give sweet foods including dried fruit at mealtimes

• Squashes sweetened with sugar, fizzy drinks, soft drinks and juice drinks have no place in a child’s daily diet
• Limit the amount of fruit juice and/or smoothies your child drinks to a maximum of 150 mls (one portion) in total per day and drink it with meals to reduce the risk of tooth decay
• Always ask for sugar-free medicines

Useful Links / Resources
Find a dentist

Children's dentistry - Newcastle

Healthy Eating Right from the Start video (from Henry)

Sugar: the facts

The Food Scanner app

Oral Health (external link)

A practical guide to teeth (PDF)