Oral Health Team Targets Children in Barnsley
An oral health action team has been launched to try and reduce rates of decay amongst children in Barnsley.
The new team met for the first time to discuss measures to try and improve standards of oral health amongst children in the area and prevent tooth decay. Tooth decay is the most common preventable childhood illness and by simply spending a few minutes each day cleaning the teeth the risk of tooth decay is significantly reduced. This is the main message the oral health team is keen to spread.
Figures show that 58 percent of children under the age of 5 living in Barnsley have tooth decay, a proportion that is much higher than the national average, which currently stands at around 40 percent.
The oral health action team has been established to target children from deprived areas of Barnsley, with the aim to encourage parents and children to get involved in oral health and urge them to visit their dentist on a regular basis. The team will also be able to provide information for those who are not currently registered with a dentist and they will also take time to talk to children and parents about oral hygiene, oral health diseases and healthy eating.
Jillian O’Brien, a member of the new action team, said that the group will help to raise awareness of the importance of good health and hopefully encourage more people to take better care of their teeth and gums. The team will work alongside schools, health centres and community health professionals to try and make the programme as effective as possible.
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An oral health action team has been launched to try and reduce rates of decay amongst children.great post.