Brush up your kid’s smile this National Smile Month

Between 15 May and 15 June, is national smile month when we raise awareness of the importance of having good oral health, as well as promoting the value of a healthy smile.

There’s many health issue that can affect people because of poor oral hygiene. Sadly, inequalities continue to impact our residents including children and young people, in mid and south Essex, despite the many improvements in oral health.

During this National Smile Month, a campaign from the Oral Health Foundation, Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System (MSEICS) want to reach out to local people where oral disease is far too common and make a difference.

Helping children keep a great smile for life

Children are a priority for the ICS, so we want to instil great oral hygiene in children which is essential for them to enjoy a health lifelong smile. You can give your children the best start by:

• Make sure they brush their teeth twice a day.
• Ensure they brush for two minutes, last thing at night and one other time during the day, with a fluoride toothpaste.
• Cut down how much and how often you have sugary foods and drinks.
• Visit the dentist regularly

Check out these videos and have fun while they clean their teeth:

Visiting the dentist

It’s really important to get your child’s teeth checked by a dentist in their first year to get them used to going and setting up good habits. Also, ensure that you increase the number of child dentist visits between the age of 1-10, ideally every six months.

Everyone should be able to access good-quality NHS dental services. There is no registration with a dentist in the same way as with a GP because you are not bound to a catchment area. Simply find a dental practice that’s convenient for you, whether it’s near your home or work, and phone them to see if there are any appointments available.

Getting an appointment checklist below:

• Ensure you are on a waiting list.
• You don’t have to go to a practice near your home.
• You can go to a practice anywhere that you’re willing to travel to, such as near your workplace or near a friend/relative that you regularly visit.
• If you do not have a regular dental practice or are new to the area, you can search for an NHS dentist near you on this site.
• If after contacting several dental practices you still can’t find a dentist accepting NHS patients, you should call NHS England’s Customer Contact Centre on 0300 311 2233.

Mid and South Essex ICB is required to meet the needs of their local population for both urgent and routine dental care. Your local Healthwatch also may be able to give you information about services in your area.

If you have been unable to find a NHS England dentist and you want to raise your concerns about this, contact them on:

Email: england.contactus@nhs.net

Phone: 0300 311 2233

Get involved and help create happier, healthier smiles

You too can get involved by visiting the National Smile Month website to help raise awareness of important oral health issues and use their campaign toolkit and resources.

Better Health

Learn how you and your family can live a more active and healthier lifestyle, with the help of Better Health Healthier Families. From tips on cutting down sugar, to fun indoor activities – Better Health are here to help you turn small changes into a positive routine.

Download the free NHS Food Scanner app

With a speedy scan of your family’s favourite foods, you can find healthier swaps for next time you shop.

With life being so fast paced and on-the-go, it can be difficult to not slip into old habits, such as eating food that surprisingly contains high levels of sugar, or getting carried away with watching TV rather than doing a ten minute activity. However, Better Health have a series of free apps to help make these lifestyle adjustments an easier and smoother transition.