Oral Health
We believe in the importance of promoting good oral hygiene to help prevent tooth decay and dental neglect in children. By encouraging our children to brush their teeth for 2 minutes up to half an hour after eating their lunch, our children's teeth will be cleaned of plaque and ensure they have a beautiful Healthy Smile. Our toothbrushing sessions are always supervised by a member of staff.
We actively promote good oral hygiene to our children and parents through a variety of activities and by providing parents with information through our Facebook page, Class Dojo communication app and by creating informative displays and placing posters on our notice boards.
Community Dental Services Healthy Smiles Accreditation Scheme
In 2023, we successfully completed the Healthy Smiles Accreditation scheme to become a "Tooth friendly" setting. We are currently renewing our accreditation to continue to promote good oral health to our current and future families.
Registering with a local Dentist
If you haven't registered your child with a local dentist, then please have a look at out Dentist list below. You can register your child from as early as one year of age and dental care up to the age of 18 years is free. Please click on this link for more information
Making regular appointments at a Dentist is a preventive measure to ensure any problems or signs of tooth decay are identified early on and expert advice can be provided to your family.
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Healthy Eating and Your Childs Diet
The food you provide for your child plays an important part in your child's oral health. Foods high in sugar and that are processed can contribute to tooth decay developing in your child's teeth. Keep snacks to a minimum and ensure they are healthy if your child needs something to eat.
Tooth friendly foods and drinks include:
breadsticks,
fruits and vegetables,
cheese,
rice cakes,
milk,
water,
natural yogurts
Unhealthy foods and drinks to avoid include:
fizzy drinks,
biscuits,
fruit smoothies,
raisins,
chocolate,
milkshakes,
fruit yogurt,
jam
honey
cakes
cereals
The NHS have a Food Scanner App to help you identify the amounts of sugar, salt and saturated fat in foods and can help to suggest a healthier alternative for you to try. For more information click on the link below.
This website also has a selection of healthy recipes and lunchbox ideas.
Teeth Cleaning Advice
The Community Dental Services team advices that the best technique for cleaning teeth is as follows:
1. Hold your toothbrush at a 45 degree angle towards the gums
2. Make sure you clean every surface of every tooth
3. Use a circular motion with a gentle scrubbing action on teeth and gums.
Please look at the Community Dental Services 12 Top tips for teeth leaflet below for more advice on helping your child to clean their teeth.
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Celebrating Children's Birthday's at Pre-school
We are frequently asked by Parents whether they can bring in cakes or sweets for a child's birthday. As we are striving to be a "Tooth Friendly" setting and because some children have allergies or food intolerances, we discourage parents from bringing in cakes and sweets as they are unhealthy for children's teeth.
If Parents do bring in cakes or sweets, we will send them home with our children so parents can decide when or if their child can eat these. We do not give these items to children with an allergy or food intolerance if the label contains their known allergen.
How we celebrate children's Birthdays
At Pre-school we have a special wooden birthday cake with candles and numbers so we can sing "Happy Birthday" at group times. Your child is also welcome to bring in a book from home for us to read to all the children.
Parents are welcome to bring in the following items as a healthier gift alternative for the children:
1. A small bottle of blowing bubbles,
2. A packet of stickers,
3. A small box of crayons or colouring pencils,
4. A small note pad.
Here are some more websites to help you make healthy food choices and find oral health information for your child.
