Childsmile Brushing Saves Millions In Dental Costs

Sample News Big

A new study has revealed that supervised brushing for children in Scotland is saving millions of pounds in dental costs.

As part of the Childsmile programme, members of nursery staff supervise children brushing their teeth and this has saved more than £6 million, according to research carried out at Glasgow University.

Researchers at the university found that the Childsmile programme has helped to cut the cost of dental care for children by more than 50 per cent since 2001.

The initiative was launched in 2001 with the aim of encouraging parents and children to learn more about oral hygiene, diet and nutrition and the importance of visiting a dentist every 6 months. Some schools and nurseries in targeted areas offer preventative dental treatments, such as fluoride varnish, and all offer supervised brushing in a bid to encourage good oral hygiene habits from an early age.

Researchers at Glasgow University evaluated the efficacy of the programme in a study funded by the Scottish Government and found that the initiative had helped to reduce spending on dental care by more than £6 million. According to the study, fewer children needed treatments, such as fillings, extractions and treatment under general anaesthetic.

The study also confirmed that there were fewer children in need of hospital treatment, which was helping to free beds and operating theatres.

Michael Matheson, public health minister, said that the findings of the study were very good news and represented an “amazing achievement.”

Join this Discussion

Comments are closed.