£11m investment in oral health welcomed by dental groups

The British Society of Paediatric Dentistry (BSPD) has welcomed the scheme and said the commitment to fund a targeted supervised toothbrushing scheme for three- to five-year-olds in England is aligned with its recommendation to invest in a preventative approach.

By combining government funding with the generous corporate commitment from Colgate-Palmolive, the future of children’s oral health should improve significantly in the next two to five years, according to the BSPD. This costed and funded commitment will now see children attending schools and early years settings across the country receiving supervised toothbrushing and a supply of toothbrushes and toothpaste to take home. Evidence from Scotland shows that reaching children as early as possible with supervised toothbrushing schemes gives them a better oral health start to life and saves money for the NHS in the long term.