The Government has announced the launch of a national supervised toothbrushing programme for 3 to 5-year-olds in early years settings across the most deprived areas of England.

The supervised toothbrushing programme will be rolled out in early years settings and primary schools, with funding available from April, helping hundreds of thousands of children aged between 3 and 5 years old to develop positive brushing habits.

The scheme will be launched in collaboration with Colgate-Palmolive who are providing free Colgate toothbrushes, toothpaste and educational materials to continue good work at home.

The BDIA is delighted that a member company is the first organisation to be involved with such a ground breaking partnership with the Government.

Commenting on the launch, Health Minister Stephen Kinnock said:

“It is shocking that a third of five-year-olds in the most deprived areas have experience of tooth decay – something we know can have a lifelong impact on their health.

“It’s why we’re delivering supervised toothbrushing to young children and families who are most in need of support as part of our wider plans to revive the oral health of the nation. This includes providing 23 million free toothbrushes and toothpastes through our partnership with Colgate-Palmolive to reach up to 600,000 children each year.

“We’re already rolling out 700,000 extra urgent dental appointments for those who need treatment, but by focusing on prevention we can help children have the best start in life.

“On top of this, we will reform the dental contract to get dentists providing more NHS work as we fundamentally reform the sector through our Plan for Change so it is there for patients once again.”

Read the full press release here