A national supervised toothbrushing programme will be rolled out for UK children aged three to five from April, the government has announced.
The scheme will be launched in early years settings such as primary schools and nurseries in the most deprived areas of the country. The government is investing £11 million in local authorities to deliver the programme to institutions that sign up, with funding available from April 2025.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said this would reach up to 600,000 children annually and provide families with support to maintain good oral hygiene practices at home.
The project is supported by Colgate-Palmolive, which will provide 23 million toothbrushes and toothpastes to be used in the scheme over the next five years.
The government described the supervised toothbrushing scheme as a ‘proven, evidence-based health intervention’. It also said the programme was ‘expected to deliver measurable improvements to children’s oral health and reductions in oral health inequalities’ within two to three years.
Every £1 spent on supervised toothbrushing is estimated to save £3 in avoided treatment costs. This equates to a saving of £34 million for the NHS over the next five years.
Supervised toothbrushing: ‘an incredibly important initiative’
Health minister Stephen Kinnock said: ‘It is shocking that a third of five-year-olds in the most deprived areas have experience of tooth decay – something we know can have a lifelong impact on their health.
‘It’s why we’re delivering supervised toothbrushing to young children and families who are most in need of support as part of our wider plans to revive the oral health of the nation. This includes providing 23 million free toothbrushes and toothpastes through our partnership with Colgate-Palmolive to reach up to 600,000 children each year.’
Noel Wallace is chairman, president and chief executive officer at Colgate-Palmolive. He said: ‘At Colgate-Palmolive we believe every child deserves the chance to have a healthier smile and brighter future. We’re thrilled that Colgate and our team in the UK have been chosen to partner with the government to help improve children’s oral health across the country – it’s an incredibly important initiative given the current levels of tooth decay in children.’
He continued: ‘This partnership will be able to make a real impact in preventing tooth decay and ensuring brighter futures for generations to come. We want all children, regardless of needs or circumstances, to be fully equipped with the information and tools they need to keep improving their oral health every day.’
‘Decisive action’
The British Society of Paediatric Dentistry (BSPD) said that ‘barriers have been addressed and progress can start’, having campaigned for supervised toothbrushing for 10 years.
Urshla Devalia, BSPD media spokesperson, said: ‘At last we will see the dial shift on children’s oral health in England. BSPD has been advocating for the importance of a preventive approach to address the crisis in children’s oral health for years.
‘Children’s oral health is everyone’s business, so we are delighted to see industry partners stepping up and taking on the role they can play in reducing oral health inequalities. We are excited to see this commitment to improving children’s oral health, but there is a lot of work to do, and BSPD is rolling up its sleeves to play its part. This is the decisive action we have been pushing for.’
The British Dental Association (BDA) ‘applauded’ the announcement of the scheme as an ‘important first step’. However it also said ‘the new administration has a responsibility to go further and faster, both on restoring access to services and on prevention’. In particular. the BDA recommended action on the food industry in terms of ‘marketing, labelling and reformulation of food and drink’.
BDA chair Eddie Crouch said: ‘It’s rare to find something to smile about in dentistry these days. But supervised tooth brushing is tried and tested policy that will save children from pain and our NHS a fortune. The only concern is why it’s taken a century to get here. Ministers need to go further and faster.’
Government will ‘fundamentally reform’ dentistry
Jason Wong, chief dental officer for England, said the government was ‘thrilled’ to be working with the NHS to deliver the supervised toothbrushing scheme. He said: ‘Toothbrushing twice daily with a fluoride toothpaste remains one of the best defences against tooth decay and a long list of preventable oral health issues. Having strong healthy teeth can have a hugely positive impact on a child’s life.’
Stephen Kinnock also touched on other measures the government had proposed to reform NHS dentistry. He said: ‘We’re already rolling out 700,000 extra urgent dental appointments for those who need treatment, but by focusing on prevention we can help children have the best start in life.
‘On top of this, we will reform the dental contract to get dentists providing more NHS work as we fundamentally reform the sector through our plan for change so it is there for patients once again.’
Alongside the supervised toothbrushing announcement, the government confirmed that it would be expanding water fluoridation across the north east of England. It is estimated that the expanded programme will reach 1.6 million more people and significantly reduce tooth decay.
Urshla Devalia continued: ‘Intervening now with a supervised toothbrushing scheme, plus community water fluoridation programmes, are initiatives proven to deliver beneficial oral health outcomes that will pay for themselves severalfold in the future.’
Eddie Crouch said: ‘Water fluoridation has been around since the second world war. Supervised brushing since Victorian times. Tried and tested policies, but it shows we need real pace here. Building an NHS dental service fit for the future won’t wait till the 22nd century.’
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