Plymouth University Dental Project Given £70,000 Cash Injection
A dental project run by Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry has received a £70,000 funding injection from chewing gum manufacturer The Wrigley Company.
The project, which aims to support young and first-time mothers and help them make positive choices to protect their children’s oral health, is run in conjunction with the Family Nurse Partnership Programme.
Young children and toddlers are the focus of the programme and directors hope that encouraging good habits at a young age will enable children to enjoy better standards of oral health and have a lower risk of dental diseases. The project is to target those living in deprived and under-served areas where rates of decay tend to be significantly higher than those in more affluent areas.
The Plymouth University team will work with the Family Nurse Partnership Programme to support first-time mothers and provide them with information to enable them to care for their child’s teeth. The Family Nurse Partnership has collaborated with more than 200 local families since 2008 and is well placed to identify those with the greatest need of additional support and advice.
Lead researcher Professor Elizabeth Kay said the scheme is representative of the kinds of measures that need to be taken across the country to reduce the number of children requiring hospital care for dental troubles.
Communications manager at The Wrigley Company, Polly Garland, said it was an honour to work with Plymouth University on a worthy and valuable project that will help to shape standards of oral health in the local area for years to come.
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