Features

Health & Nutrition – All smiles?

Practice Nutrition Health
How one child’s misfortune inspired her setting to take action on local oral health problems. By Meredith Jones Russell
The children brush their teeth while at the nursery and are given resources to help them practise
The children brush their teeth while at the nursery and are given resources to help them practise

With one in four five-year-olds experiencing dental decay in the UK, and children from the most deprived areas suffering more than twice the level of decay as those from the least deprived, one nursery in west London has decided to confront children’s oral health problems head on.

Little Darling Childcare in Harrow became the first non-dentist winner of the National Smile Month Dental Award earlier this year when it was recognised for its work on oral health.

Harrow had the highest proportion of five-year-olds suffering from tooth decay in London in a 2017 national oral health survey. The average number of decayed, missing and filled teeth among five-year-olds across England was 0.6, while in Harrow it was 1.9.

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included

  • Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month

  • Unlimited access to news and opinion

  • Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news

Register

Already have an account? Sign in here