Hygienists target shoppers in a bid to improve dental health
Dental hygienists working for NHS Tayside visited a shopping centre yesterday to hand out toothbrushing kits to parents and children.
The event, which took place at the Wellgate Centre in Dundee, was held to celebrate the Teeth 4 Life campaign, which is the theme of this year’s National Smile Month. The initiative is being run by the British Dental Health Foundation and is designed to raise awareness of the importance of good oral health and the possible dangers associated with poor oral health.
Yesterday, hundreds of children received free teeth cleaning kits, which will encourage them to take care of their teeth and gums by concentrating on oral hygiene. The team of hygienists was joined by staff at the Dundee Healthy Living Initiative, who visit the centre every Thursday to check people’s blood pressure and carry out glucose tests for diabetics.
National Smile Month is a national campaign, which is geared towards improving standards of oral health all over the UK. Currently, standards are improving gradually, but many people still suffer from poor oral health and this could be rectified if people were taught about oral hygiene and healthy lifestyle choices. The events are aimed at the whole family but many of the activities are geared towards children; getting children interested in oral hygiene from an early age will encourage them to adopt good habits, which will help to reduce the likelihood of them needing complex treatment for serious conditions in the future.
The team of hygienists will be visiting St John’s shopping centre in Perth next Thursday and will also be dropping in on a number of local primary and secondary schools, colleges and adult learning groups.
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