Free toothbrush packs to help families with hygiene

Some families will be given free toothbrushes, toothpaste and teeth cleaning advice as part of efforts to improve oral hygiene.

Selected schools and nurseries in West Northamptonshire will offer "supervised toothbrushing programmes", as part of the scheme by East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust.

Teachers and care staff will be given advice to promote oral health, "particularly in communities where poor dental health outcomes are more common", the trust said.

Laura Couse, cabinet member for adult care and public health at West Northamptonshire Council, said the service was "about getting the basics right early".

"Too many children are starting school with preventable dental problems, and too many adults continue to experience poor oral health that could have been avoided with the right support," she said.

Toothbrush and toothpaste packs will be given out by health visitors.

A similar scheme run via food banks was launched in North Northamptonshire last year.

The new service will begin this month after the council awarded the contract to East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust.

"Good oral health is about much more than healthy teeth," Couse continued.

"It affects a child's confidence, wellbeing, ability to eat, sleep and learn, and it plays an important role in health throughout life."

Northamptonshire has lost more than 20% of its NHS dental practices in the past decade, according to research by the Nuffield Trust earlier this year.

The government said it was changing the dental contract and training more dentists in the areas most in need.

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