Children on the Isle of Man to get a Lesson in Oral Hygiene
Children on the Isle of Man will be given lessons on oral hygiene as part of National Smile Month.
The national campaign will run from May 15th to June 15th and a number of events and activities will be held to encourage children to take an interest in oral health. The campaign is being run by the British Dental Health Foundation with the support of the Department of Health and The Children’s Centre.
Danni Mottram, a healthier outcomes worker from The Children’s Centre will be joined by community dental nurse Patricia Newsom on visits to schools and pre-school groups across the island. The pair will teach children how to brush their teeth properly, talk to them about the importance of brushing their teeth, tell them about visiting the dentist and encourage them to ask questions about oral hygiene. Mottram is also keen to encourage children to learn about healthy eating and the damage that eating lots of sweets and fizzy drinks can have on the teeth and gums.
Danni and Patricia will be joined by a cuddly companion, Flossie the hippo; they will host fun activities and events and the aim of the campaign is to allow children to have lots of fun while they learn about oral hygiene and oral health.
Last September figures showed that just under half of five year olds on the Island have untreated tooth decay; it is hoped that the campaign will make a difference and lead to reduced rates of decay.
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