Young children in England to be supervised by teachers when brushing their teeth under new national programme

• National toothbrushing programme will see school and nursery staff asked to supervise children brushing their teeth.
• The programme will be rolled out in April for three to five year olds in nurseries and primary schools in most deprived areas of England.
• Supervised toothbrushing is a proven, evidence-based health intervention.
• More than 49,000 young people under the age of 19 were admitted to hospital for tooth extraction between in 2024.

Children in the most deprived areas of England will get access to a £11 million national scheme to help protect them from tooth decay.

The supervised toothbrushing programme will see school and nursery staff supervise children brushing their teeth. It will be rolled out in early years settings and primary schools, aiming to help hundreds of thousands of children aged between 3 and 5 years old develop positive brushing habits.

Latest data shows one in four children aged five have experienced tooth decay in England, with higher rates of up to one in three in more deprived areas, with data published last week showing more than 49,000 young people under the age of 19 were admitted to hospital for tooth extraction between in the financial year ending 2024.

It is hoped that the scheme will help save the NHS in the long run, with every £1 spent on supervised toothbrushing expected to save £3 in avoided treatment costs.

Health Minister Stephen Kinnock said: “It is shocking that a third of five-year-olds in the most deprived areas have experience of tooth decay - something we know can have a lifelong impact on their health.

“It’s why we’re delivering supervised toothbrushing to young children and families who are most in need of support as part of our wider plans to revive the oral health of the nation. This includes providing 23 million free toothbrushes and toothpastes through our partnership with Colgate-Palmolive to reach up to 600,000 children each year.

“We’re already rolling out 700,000 extra urgent dental appointments for those who need treatment, but by focusing on prevention we can help children have the best start in life.

“On top of this, we will reform the dental contract to get dentists providing more NHS work as we fundamentally reform the sector through our Plan for Change so it is there for patients once again.”

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Supervised toothbrushing is a proven, evidence-based health intervention, and is expected to deliver improvements to children’s oral health and reductions in oral health inequalities from between two and three years after launch.

The scheme aims to reach up to 600,000 children each year and provide families with the support they need to ensure positive behaviours continue at home and over the school holidays.

Chief Dental Office for England, Jason Wong said: “Tooth brushing twice daily with a fluoride toothpaste remains one of the best defences against tooth decay and a long list of preventable oral health issues. This is why we’re thrilled that the government is working with the NHS to expand access to pivotal supervised toothbrushing programmes in schools. Having strong healthy teeth can have a hugely positive impact on a child’s life.”

If you are concerned about your child’s oral health or want to learn more about how to teach them to brush their teeth, you can find more information at NHS.UK.