Healthy Smiles’ On Show at The Haven 2000 Nursery and Preschool

Mayor Dave Hodgson and Councillor and Louise Jackson, Portfolio Holder for Public Health, went to The Haven 2000 Nursery and Preschool this week and saw  ‘Healthy Smiles’, a tooth brushing programme for Bedford Borough schools and early years settings, in action.

Tooth decay is the most common oral disease in children but it is almost entirely preventable. ‘Healthy Smiles’ supports services working with young children to improve the dental health of the children in their care.

By promoting a positive oral health message, reducing the frequency of sugary food and drinks given to children, and introducing a supervised tooth brushing programme, ‘Healthy Smiles’ is expected to have a really positive impact on children’s dental health.

Mayor Dave Hodgson said “I was delighted to visit The Haven 2000 Nursery and Preschool, and hear about the work they have been doing as part of ‘Healthy Smiles’. They have been very pro-active in introducing the programme, and are really seeing the results and should be congratulated on all their hard work.”

Councillor Louise Jackson added “As a mum I know how difficult it can be to avoid sugary foods and drinks and make sure children brush their teeth effectively, but there are three simple steps you can take with your kids to protect their teeth: visit the dentist regularly from an early age; keep sugary drinks and food to mealtimes only; and brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, spitting and not rinsing afterwards.”