Responding to DHSC announcement on supervised toothbrushing

Responding to the Department of Health and Social Care’s (DHSC) announcement that supervised toothbrushing will be introduced for children to prevent tooth decay, Dr Charlotte Eckhardt, Dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery (FDS) at the Royal College of Surgeons of England said: 

“With unacceptably high numbers of very young children being admitted to hospital for tooth extractions due to dental caries, this is very welcome news.  It is critical that children in the most deprived areas of England get access to this programme - to help protect them from avoidable tooth decay. Learning how to brush teeth correctly in the early years helps establish good habits for healthy teeth in later life. 
  
“We must continue to encourage children and young people to brush regularly with fluoride toothpaste, visit a dentist routinely, and reduce sugary food and drinks intake, but these measures alone are not enough. 
  
"Additionally, there is an urgent need for targeted interventions to improve dental access for all children and young people, particularly in underserved communities. The lack of access to an NHS dentist is an issue of inequity. Significant reforms to the NHS dental contract are needed to support the workforce in delivering a comprehensive service. We call on the government to deliver a timeline for these reforms immediately." 

ENDS

Notes to editors:   
  
1.     Hospital tooth extractions in 0 to 19-year-olds 2024: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hospital-tooth-extractions-in-0-to-19-year-olds-2024 
2.     There were 3,829 children aged 0 to 4 years and 17,666 aged 5 to 9 years. 
3.     The Faculty of Dental Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons of England is committed to enabling dentists and specialists to provide patients with the highest possible standards of practice and care. 
3.   The Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England) provides world-class education, assessment, and development to 30,000 surgeons, dental professionals, and members of the wider surgical and dental care teams, at all stages of their career. Our vision is to see excellent surgical care for everyone. We do this by setting professional standards, facilitating research, and championing the best outcomes for patients.  
4.    For more information, please contact the RCS England press office: telephone: 020 7869 6053/6054/6047; email: pressoffice@rcseng.ac.uk; out-of-hours media enquiries: 0207 869 6056.