Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise successfully bid to NHS England to run a two year Supervised Tooth Brushing pilot programme in Plymouth, Exeter and North Devon. The programme has developed from a former model that was delivered as part of the Plymouth Child Poverty Action Plan. PDSE will deliver the programme across 2 postcode areas of Devon (PL and EX with 1 setting in TA). The programme is being run in collaboration with the local charity, Well Connected.

The key aspects of the programme are to:

• Establish regular tooth brushing sessions in early year’s settings
• Simplify oral health prevention messages for settings and families
• Encourage early years’ settings to include oral health activities within existing themes
• Establish supervised tooth brushing programmes in primary schools and nurseries, which are located in the highest areas of multiple deprivation
• Deliver training to staff who engage with pre-school and reception age children, which enables them to supervise children when brushing teeth
• Support settings to encourage family engagement

258 primary schools and nurseries were invited to register an interest, as of the 31st July 2020

• 114 primary schools and nurseries had accepted the invitation
• 397 early years staff had received training
• 7,316 children are now brushing every day in school

The pilot will run until September 2021, schools that have not participated to date will be invited to take part in the programme and follow up visits will take place in the existing schools.