The charity is working with 90 nurseries and childminders to test out the feasibility of a nationwide supervised tooth brushing programme in early years settings. More than 5,000 under-fives will be involved in the initial scheme.
More than a quarter of five-year-olds are suffering from tooth decay, according to Public Health England. Last month, research by the Local Government Association found that the cost of children’s tooth extractions in hospitals has risen by more than 60 per cent in the past five years.
The pilots will look at the logistics of introducing tooth brushing into settings as a routine daily activity, looking at areas such as the best time to do it, whether singing songs helps to make tooth brushing fun, and practical ways of storing children’s tooth brushes.
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