Tackling tooth decay in secondary school pupils

Tooth decay is a very common disease affecting a third of young people aged 12-15 years. This increases to nearly a half of youngsters living in areas of poverty.

Innovative resources for secondary school pupils available through the Bright trial have already been downloaded more than 300 times. The resources have been awarded a Quality Mark from the PSHE Association and are available for teachers to access and download to share with Key Stage 3 students.

Professor Zoe Marshman, from the University of Sheffield’s School of Clinical Dentistry, who co-led the Bright trial, said, “Tooth decay and all its negative consequences such as toothache, loss of sleep and problems eating are very common in children of secondary school age. While school-based initiatives for children between the ages of four to 11 have been delivered for decades, there is very little for secondary schools.