Tooth-brushing lessons for Pulteneytown pupils
In the fight against dental decay the pupils at Pulteneytown Academy Primary School in Wick are armed to the teeth. Fifteen gleaming child-height sinks have been installed to help with special lessons on how to prevent dental caries. Headteacher Lillian Wark has been working with NHS Highland Oral Health Promoter Jennie Rawlins to introduce the supervised toothbrush programme. This includes lessons and supervision for the youngest students and brushes and toothpaste for all 191 children on the school roll.
Jennie said: “The school staff, particularly the head teacher, have been really supportive. We’re teaching the children how to brush their teeth and also about the benefit of eating the right food and drinks. We don’t want them to stop brushing their teeth at home so we use games to get over the messages about brushing at least twice a day and avoiding sweets and sugary drinks. These are really important key messages for the rest of their lives.”
Lillian Wark said: “I’m delighted to have the facilities and staff in place to support this programme as it is such an important part of our overall Health Promoting agenda. When installing the sinks we also installed a drinking water tap for pupils to use. The Parent Council are going to be donating water bottles so as well as promoting teeth hygiene for pupils, for the first time we are able to offer access to free drinking water in the school.
The Highland Council’s Education, Culture and Sport Committee Convenor Councillor Bill Fernie was on hand to witness one of the first supervised tooth brushing lessons. He said: “This is a great example of a school and the health service working together. It could put the tooth fairy out of business but it‘s good news for our children‘s teeth and their diet.”
The tooth brushing sessions are part of NHS Highland and The Highland Council’s effort to meet a national target on tooth decay. By 2010 the Government wants 60% of primary one to primary seven children to have no signs of dental disease.
The four key messages are:
• Brush your teeth at least twice a day.
• Limit your intake of sugary snacks and drinks.
• Use fluoride toothpaste at least 1000 parts per million fluoride (ppm F).
• See your dentist regularly. If you don’t have a dentist children can be registered by calling the Dental Helpline on 0845 644 2271.