New Designed To Smile programme aimed at children under five
An oral health prevention programme set up by the Welsh Government, Designed to Smile, is now targeting children under the age of five. The programme aims to tackle rates of tooth decay in five-year-olds.
The new age range has been announced following the programme’s success in slashing tooth decay rates in young children by 12% since its creation in 2008.
Wales chief dental officer, Colette Bridgman, has stated that ‘the refocus of the programme will encourage everyone working with children under five to help improve their oral health’.
‘It is important that every young child in Wales is supervised to brush their teeth with family fluoride toothpaste at bedtime, and on one other occasion every day. Having nothing sweet to eat or drink in the last hour before bedtime will also help to protect teeth from decay.’
Dental decay starts at an early age, and research has proven that early prevention is the easiest method to tackle the problem.
The programme’s new focus will accordingly shift to the toddler age group, and it is hoped that many more children will be free of decay upon reaching the age of five.
Rebecca Evans, Minister for Social Services and Public Health, has commented that ‘I am very pleased to see how successful Designed to Smile has been in improving children’s dental health in Wales and want to thank all those who have been involved in the programme for their hard work and commitment’.
‘We now know that to improve dental health further, it is important to start at an earlier age, so that tooth decay can be prevented before it becomes a problem. That is why we are refocusing the programme so it targets the under fives,’ she continued, speaking at the Designed to Smile symposium in Cardiff on Thursday 30th March.
