Good oral health starts from before our first teeth emerge, and continues throughout childhood and into adulthood. We work with young families and the organisations that support them, to help them incorporate effective oral care into the day-to-day – from advising on diet to helping parents get very young children to brush their teeth.
We work with families and organisations to ensure that children get the best oral health start in life, and that continues with work throughout school years. To do this we arrange projects, activities and events in schools – as well as our wonderful interactive “Open Wide and Step Inside” animation. This involves not only working with pupils and their parents, but also with teachers and other school staff.
There are some medical conditions that require those with them to take particular care of their oral health. These include people with oral cancer, and other conditions such as Sjögren’s Syndrome (dry mouth syndrome). We support local groups to look after their oral health and access regular dental care.
Working with the homeless and those with addiction
For many people who are homeless, access to dental health can be a cruel Catch-22 – registering with a dentist requires an address, but how do you get dental care if you don’t have one? We work very closely with the homeless and the organisations that support them – the Salvation Army, Shekinah Mission, for example – to ensure that they have what they need to maintain good oral health care on the streets, and that they can access dental treatment at one of our DEFs. Many of those we work with also have addiction to alcohol and drugs. Better oral health can lead to an upswing in self-confidence and esteem, which in turn can help people turn their lives around.
There are some in the community who need that little extra help and support to take on board good oral health practices, and to seek dental treatment when they need it. We partner with organisations that already support such people – Plymouth People First, the Highbury Trust – to help bring good oral health awareness to a special group of people in a way they can understand and which benefits them.
It’s not just the physical risks to teeth that sportspeople need to consider, but it is also the impact of diet and so-called sports drinks – which while they might create instant energy are packed with sugar and are a key cause of tooth decay. We work with local sports clubs to help them protect their teeth and adopt a healthy tooth-friendly diet. Often these clubs join us in events at schools and youth clubs.
