AN initiative by Asda and Colgate, which is being launched to help combat tooth decay among children living in St Helens North, has been welcomed by David Baines MP.

The move will see 168 free dental kits, consisting of a toothbrush, toothpaste, an educational leaflet and a brushing chart for children, sent directly to schools in St Helens North as part of a national scheme.

Tooth decay remains the leading cause of hospital admission for children aged 5 to 9 years, with those living in the most deprived communities 3.5 times more likely to have a decaying tooth extracted than children in more affluent areas.

Dentistry Rescue Plan

The new government has pledged to enforce a new Dentistry Rescue Plan, stating that getting an NHS dentist is becoming "a lottery" in the UK.

The plan involves:

• Fill the gap of appointments with an extra 700,000 urgent and emergency dental appointments a year

• Flood dental deserts with new dentistry graduates, with golden hellos of £20,000 for those who spend at least three years working in underserved areas

• Supervised toothbrushing for three to five year olds, to prevent children forced to hospital to have their rotting teeth pulled out

• Reform of the dental contract, to rebuild NHS dentistry and make sure everyone who needs a dentist can get one.

With families in St Helens North facing more challenges to their oral health, Asda has set out to address this dental inequality in partnership with Colgate.

This initiative will ensure oral care products and advice reach those children who require the most support.

Challenges

Packs will also include education materials for families to help cement a good oral care routine at home, while schools will also be given access to Colgate’s Bright Smiles, Bright Futures school programme (which is aligned to the National Curriculum).

With a particular focus on supporting children entering the education system, the donated packs will help classes teach kids the importance of looking after their teeth and gums.

In a statement, David Baines, Labour's MP for St Helens North, said: “The Government are acutely aware of the challenges families face in accessing dentistry in St Helens North.

"This Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access NHS dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to areas that need them most.

"It is great to see Asda and Colgate support children in St Helens North and combined with our new measures on supervised toothbrushing, we will begin to turn the page on fourteen years of Conservative neglect."

Hayley Tatum MBE, Asda's chief people and corporate affairs officer, said: “Children from the most deprived communities clearly face an uphill battle when it comes to receiving basic dental care.

"By providing the tools and educational materials to over 1600 schools and 70,000 students, we hope to help children to establish healthy dental habits and behaviours that they can continue for the rest of their lives."