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TOWARDS BETTER ORAL HEALTH IN CHILDREN: ANALYSIS OF CONSULTATION RESPONSES
CHAPTER 6: ORAL HYGIENE
The consultation stated:
Too many children and adults still do not brush their teeth regularly with fluoride toothpaste.
Children in disadvantaged areas do least well. And 5-year-old children from more affluent groups are more likely to brush their teeth twice daily compared with those from poorer households.
Visiting the dentist for regular advice, checkups and treatment can contribute to changes in behaviours and attitudes to oral health. However, less than half of adults in Scotland are registered with a dentist, and fewer still attend regularly. There may be reasons for this, including difficulty in finding a dentist, fear, anxiety and cost. But the most common reason is often apathy.
Deprivation… influences visits. Five-year-olds from unskilled backgrounds are less likely to have visited a dentist compared to children from non-manual or professional backgrounds.
Consultees views were:
In Brief: The importance of good oral hygiene received strong support It was considered that effective oral hygiene practice should be established at a young age Many respondents thought that schools could enable and facilitate good oral hygiene practice through the day There was much support for extending current free toothbrush and toothpaste schemes throughout Scottish schools
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In Detail:
GENERAL COMMENTS
Respondents gave overwhelming support to the importance of good oral hygiene as central to a strategy for improving children's oral health. Many people defined the issues very clearly: teeth required brushing at least twice a day, from an early age, backed up by regular dental examinations. They perceived that the carers of children should be responsible for overseeing this.
Some advocated using fluoride toothpaste (indiv 156), others, a mouthwash (indiv 131) or a herbal toothpaste (indiv 1013).
Many referred to the need to focus attention on deprived communities (e.g. a manufacturer of oral hygiene products).
SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT
Several respondents called for good oral hygiene practice, established at home to be extended and facilitated by schools (indivs 57, 88, Consultants in Dental Public Health (CADO Group)). It was suggested that dental friendly policies in schools could be encouraged (Nutritional and Dietetic Service, Greater Glasgow PCT) with oral hygiene taught from nursery school level upwards (indiv 535). School nurses could be encouraged to communicate with children on the "
importance and effectiveness of dental hygiene and preventative measures" (Perth and Kinross Education and Children's Services with "
dental friendly" policies the norm (Nutrition and Dietetic Service, Greater Glasgow PCT). A call for more frequent school visits by dentists was made (Kirkcaldy West Community Council).
There was widespread support for the extension of current free toothbrush and paste schemes in schools (e.g. Scottish Green Party, Scottish Consumer Council, Area Pharmaceutical Committee, NHS Lanarkshire, CDS Lerwick, indivs 110, 264, 265, 906, Fortrose and Rosemarkie Community Council). Several regarded current schemes in Fife, Glasgow and Tayside as very effective with one respondent advocating mandatory daily tooth brushing in Scottish nursery schools (Professor of Pediatric Dentistry, University of Glasgow).
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