Manchester Children Get Dental Packs in Bid to Reduce Decay Rates
Thousands of children in Greater Manchester have been given a dental pack in a bid to reduce rates of dental decay.
Pupils at Pell Hall Community Primary are among those involved in the scheme, which includes around 3,000 schools in the region. The dental pack initiative has been launched by the Oral Health Foundation in partnership with Co-Op and the Wrigley company.
The most recent statistics show that 25.6 percent of children in Manchester have dental decay. This equates to one of the highest rates in the country. As part of the scheme, teachers receive educational materials including lesson plans and a copy of a new children’s book called The Lost Smile.
Recently, the local press revealed that some children in the area are waiting up to 12 months for dental treatment in hospital due to staffing shortages at hospitals run by the Pennine Acute trust.
To coincide with National Smile Month, pupils are receiving lessons in dental hygiene and dentists all over the region are reaching out to local schools and nurseries to try and encourage good habits from an early age. Decay is preventable and the aim is to reduce the number of children requiring hospital treatment dramatically. The key messages of National Smile Month are brush twice a day, visit your dentist for regular check-ups and reduce the amount of sugary foods and drinks you consume.
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