A Unique Child: Dental Health - Brush up!

Have you ever thought about hosting a tooth-fairy party? A group of dental nurses have been doing just this at a variety of early years settings in the Hillingdon, west London area.

Children's dental care is an important health issue, often neglected by parents who may wrongly believe there's no need to worry about regular brushing or visiting a dentist while their child is very young. But there are ways of addressing these misconceptions and getting the right message across to parents: that the time to start looking after teeth is as soon as they first appear in a baby's mouth.

The idea behind tooth-fairy parties is to bring information and advice about early dental care to parents and children in familiar surroundings where they feel comfortable and relaxed, away from dental surgeries and health centres - and to do it in a fun way. So, while the children take part in specially selected activities, parents can find out about the damage that too much sugar can inflict on developing teeth, discuss any concerns, and learn the correct way to brush. The following ideas can easily be adapted to suit your own setting.