Plymouth Children to be Offered Fluoride Varnish Treatments
Children in poor areas of Plymouth will be given fluoride varnish treatments to try and reduce rates of decay.
The fluoride scheme will be aimed at seventeen schools in deprived areas of Plymouth. The programme has been launched as a result of research that shows significant inequalities in standards of oral health in different areas of the city.
Research showed that a third of five-year-old children in Plymouth suffer from tooth decay, however, rates differed according to the area, with figures ranging from just under 7% in Elburton and Dunstone to 56% in Barne Barton.
The free fluoride varnish scheme is being launched as part of NHS Plymouth’s effort to tackle the gap between affluent and deprived areas. Robert Witton, a public health dentist for NHS Plymouth, said that the fluoride scheme is a good idea that will benefit children in poorer areas. Fluoride varnish is a preventative measure, which helps to make the teeth stronger and more resistant to decay. He also stressed the importance of oral health education and working with parents to try and encourage good oral hygiene habits from a very early age.
So far seventeen schools have signed up to the scheme and seven more have been invited to participate. The treatments will be given to children in Reception and Year 1.
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