Shropshire Council secures funding boost for oral health schemes
Shropshire Council has secured extra funding from NHS England to run oral health schemes for adults and children.
The cash injection will allow the council to fund initiatives, including providing oral hygiene packs and buying oral health resources for early years centres and pre-schools. The toothbrush and toothpaste packs will be handed out via community hubs within targeted areas of the county. The additional health and hygiene resources for children will be provided alongside the hugely successful Brilliant Brushers scheme.
Brilliant Brushers launched in 2022. It was developed locally with the aim of helping 3-5-year-olds to learn how to care for their teeth and gums. Children who attend nurseries and pre-schools and those in reception class also benefit from supervised brushing, which ensures that they clean their teeth thoroughly at least once per day. The feedback from children, staff and parents has been incredibly positive and evidence suggests that the programme has already contributed to improvements in oral health.
News of the extra funding for dental health initiatives was welcomed by councillor Cecilia Motley, who said that schemes are already making a positive difference. More money will enable more children to benefit, improving standards now and in the future.
Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust oral health improvement service lead, Jill Allbutt, said that it was an exciting time and the trust is looking forward to working closely with the council and early years settings to support young children and improve dental health. One of the main aims is to get dental hygiene packs out to families that are struggling during the cost of living crisis.
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