We all know the power of prevention, but sharing those messages with children reminds you that a lot of people do not fully understand that power, says Catherine Rutland.
Talking to classes of eight/nine-year-olds on the value of their teeth is a great way to spend a Monday morning. I was delivering the sessions on behalf of Dentaid’s Bright Bites programme and the children were totally engaged.
Talking to so many children about prevention, toothbrushing and diet felt like a reset for me. Their positivity and questions were infectious. Turning our ‘dental talk’ into language that was suitable for them really forced me to think about my communication. Adapting acidity and alkalinity into their language was definitely a little challenging!
We can so often get bogged down in the wider problems in dentistry and how to solve them, yet the simplicity of prevention is often lost in these discussions. I wonder if it is because the benefits lie in the future. It doesn’t grab attention like the more pressing problems do.
We all know the power of prevention, but sharing those messages with children reminds you that a lot of people do not fully understand that power – and, of course, it is not just dentistry, but so much of healthcare.
On the right track
There will always be more acute problems that need fixing, so how do we keep the message of prevention going? While all of you are doing it every day in practice, we know so many are not attending. These are possibly those most in need of those preventive messages.
While I can question myself as to whether speaking to 50 children will have that wider impact, I have to believe that all the preventive programmes going on across the country, in schools and other environments, will add up.
As for Bright Bites, I am really proud that, as a company, we can support and expand the programme.
As with so many things in life, lots of small steps in the right direction can affect change. The more of us who get involved, even if in small and different ways, the more it can affect change. The more acute problems will continue and change, but will always be there, so no point in delaying our steps.
