NHS funding expands toothbrushing lessons to Devon primary schools

Children in primary schools across Devon are set to benefit from funded oral health lessons after new NHS investment expanded an existing programme beyond Plymouth and Torbay.

NHS Devon has committed funding for the next three years to deliver supervised toothbrushing sessions to Year 2 pupils aged six and seven, with schools able to sign up to take part.

The programme, known as Open Wide and Step Inside, is delivered by the Dental Outreach Team at Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise and aims to improve children’s oral health and prevent tooth decay.

North Devon MP Ian Roome welcomed the news, saying dental decay remained a persistent problem for families locally.

“This is really positive news for North Devon’s children and exactly the kind of thing we’ve been pushing for,” he said. 

“It’ll help build good habits early, support parents, and hopefully ease pressure on stretched dental services over time.” 

He thanked NHS Devon and the North Devon Dental Steering Group for their work and said he would continue to press the Government over wider dentistry issues.

Official figures show that tooth decay remains a significant public health issue across England. 

Newly published NHS England data from the Royal College of Surgeons indicate that 21,162 children aged 5 to 9 were admitted to hospital for tooth decay in 2024/25, making it the leading cause of hospital admissions in that age group and exceeding admissions for acute illnesses such as tonsillitis. 

National survey results from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities show that 22.4 per cent of five-year-old children in England had experienced dentinal decay in 2023–24, only slightly lower than previous surveys, and children in the most deprived areas were more than twice as likely to have decay compared with those in the least deprived areas. 

Jonathan Bouwer-Davies, a local dentist and clinical dental adviser for NHS Devon, said teaching children how to brush properly was a vital life skill.

“Supervised toothbrushing is an evidence-based and cost-effective intervention proven to improve children’s oral health,” he said. 

“This investment will help address health inequalities, particularly in more deprived areas, by preventing tooth decay and reducing the need for hospital treatment.”

The sessions include a 15-minute animated film, a two-minute brushing song and an interactive quiz. 

Each child also receives a take-home pack containing a toothbrush, toothpaste, a two-minute timer and oral health information.

Robert Witton, professor of community dentistry at the University of Plymouth and chief executive of Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise, said prevention needed to be at the heart of community healthcare.

“This school-based programme is a win-win for children, parents and schools,” he said.

Mr Roome also praised members of the North Devon Dental Steering Group for ensuring the area was included in the expansion.

“I’ll keep pushing for more practical measures like this and continue pressing the Government to get a grip on the dentistry crisis we face locally,” he added.