The toothfriendly nursery scheme

Your child's nursery is taking part in the toothfriendly nursery scheme.

The scheme helps to prevent tooth decay in young children.

An important part of this is supervised toothbrushing, so the children will begin to brush their teeth every day at nursery, under adult supervision.

This makes a really big difference to their dental health, especially if you keep up twice daily brushing at home.

What is tooth decay?

Tooth decay is destruction of the teeth caused by too much and too frequent sugar in the diet. Tooth decay is preventable by restricting sugary foods and drinks and brushing with a fluoride toothpaste.

Unfortunately, many children still experience tooth decay. This can cause pain, infection and risks losing baby teeth early. Baby teeth are important for chewing, smiling and learning to talk.

How to look after your child’s teeth

• Brush their teeth every day, before bed and at one other time using a small headed brush.
• For children over three, use a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste with 1450ppm fluoride – you can check this on the box. Don't rinse off the toothpaste, let them spit it out if they want to.
• For children under three, use a smear of toothpaste with at least 1000ppm fluoride.
• Children should see a dentist before their first birthday and then regularly after that, at least once a year.
• Reduce the amount and frequency of sugary foods and drinks.

Extra tips for great teeth

• Young children are more likely to have tooth decay if they use a bottle beyond the age of one. Help them use a cup instead.
• Never let young children fall asleep with a bottle.
• Water or milk are the only drinks safe for teeth.
• Choose healthy snacks, such as cheese, fruit, vegetables and bread, rather than sugary snacks.

You can find more useful resources on our Oral health promotion resources page.