When taking care of your teeth is child's play (From The Northern Echo)

When taking care of your teeth is child's play

2:26pm Wednesday 30th December 2009 in NHS Darlington and County Durham

Children at Our Lady Star of the Sea RC School are celebrating winning the Healthy Teeth Award for the second time.

They will be proving that dental health can be fun as well as good for them at a special award event being held at the school in Thorpe Road, Horden, Peterlee at 9.30am on Monday 11 January 2010. The children will be playing with giant toothbrushes and hand puppets and will have the chance to dress up as a dentist with a coat, mask and gloves. The award certificate will be presented by Sandra Laws from the community dental services.

Sandra Laws, project lead, said: “Statistics show that 53% of young children in the Easington area have tooth decay.

“It is important to educate everyone involved with the care and welfare of children (parents and educational staff) as well as the children themselves.

“The early introduction of healthy eating habits, regular tooth brushing with the support of parents and visits to the dentist all help children to have healthy teeth as a child and, with continued good practice, as an adult too.”

The Healthy Teeth Award targets children under the age of five and aims to help reduce tooth decay as well as raising awareness of the link to healthy eating and the importance of regular, thorough tooth brushing for young children with the support of an adult.

Julie King, oral health promotion lead, said: “Within the area of County Durham the needs of the local population can be quite diverse. Therefore by developing this award using positive achievable steps towards tacking health improvement within schools allows an ideal opportunity for partnership working within the community.

“This is Our Lady Star of the Sea’s second year of achieving the Healthy Teeth Award. The unit has successfully met the required criteria and was already showing evidence of good practice and we’d like to congratulate them on this achievement.”

ENDS Media contact: Communication department: Telephone: 0191 333 3386 or email pat.lawlor@nhs.net NOTE TO EDITORS Members of the media are invited to attend for a photo opportunity and to find out more about the Award.