Oral health programme launched in Welsh schools
Welsh Health Minister, Edwina Hart, has announced that community dental services across Wales have launched a new oral health programme to improve standards of oral health amongst children.
The Designed to Smile Scheme, also known as D2S, was first launched in 2009 and piloted in North and Central South Wales; following the success of the pilot schemes, the programme has now been expanded to all areas of Wales and will also cater for pre-school children, as well as older children.
The Designed to Smile Scheme is currently helping around 30,000 children from 500 different schools. The scheme involves teaching children about oral health and oral hygiene; dental health support workers supervise children while they brush their teeth, as well as providing children with information about looking after their teeth and gums and eating healthily. The scheme also provides children with toothbrushes and toothpaste.
Initial feedback from the programme has been very positive and health ministers and dentists are hopeful that the scheme will help to improve standards of oral health in all parts of Wales. Recently, figures released by the government showed that Wales was lagging behind England and Northern Ireland in terms of oral health and figures were particularly alarming in deprived areas of the country.
The Designed to Smile Scheme also helps to provide patients with preventative treatments, including fissure sealant treatment; this helps to strengthen the teeth and protect them against decay. Investing in preventative treatment and educating children about oral health will help to reduce the cost of dental care in the future.
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