Thornley Primary School and Nursery Unit are being awarded for a second time for helping children of pre-school age care for their teeth.

Children will be given special healthy teeth award toothbrushes when their school is presented with the Healthy Teeth Award during National Smile Month at a ceremony on Wednesday 3 June 2009.

The Healthy Teeth Award has been developed as part of the national programme aimed at targeting foundation stage children (under 5s). The aims of the award are to help reduce tooth decay in young children. Statistics show that 53% of young children have tooth decay in the Easington locality.

Further aims of the award is to raise awareness between the strong link to healthy eating and good dental health, as well as reinforcing the importance of regular thorough toothbrushing for young children with the support of an adult is very important.

Nursery schools who have already achieved the Healthy Teeth Award are encouraged to support National Smile month and this is what Thornley nursery unit are doing.

National Smile month is a very important dental health campaign that runs from mod May to mid June every year. National Smile month is about raising dental health awareness for both adults and children. It is a time for people to be more aware of the important of good dental health and how it can affect general health as well.

Under the awards scheme, schools are encouraged to use a range of learning opportunities and active play to promote awareness among small children about caring for their teeth. These were centered on three main elements, namely: • To help reduce tooth decay in young children • To raise awareness of the very strong link to healthy eating and good dental health • To reinforce the importance of regular, thorough toothbrushing for young children with the support of an adult.

The event will see young children in the nursery using large scale props, such as toothbrushes and teeth to show how to brush their teeth correctly. The children will engage in role play and will also learn how to brush their teeth in a fun and interactive session.

Sandra Laws, Project Lead for the NHS Oral Health promotion Team, said: “The Healthy Teeth Award is aiming to educate everyone who is involved with the care and welfare of young children (parents and educational staff) as well as the children themselves.

“Early intervention of healthy eating habits along with regular toothbrushing with the help and support of parents in particular, and visits to the dentist will all go towards helping children to have healthy teeth as a child and with continued good practice will have healthy teeth as an adult too.

“Achieving the Health Teeth award for the second year is ensuring that good oral health habits are being well established within Thornley nursery unit.”

Julie King, Oral Health Promotion Lead, added: “This is Thornley Primary School’s second year at receiving the Healthy Teeth Award. The nursery unit who has successfully met the required criteria for the second year running. Staff at the nursery also run the ‘Let’s Brush’ tooth-brushing programme, where children brush their teeth everyday at the nursery. This programme was implemented through the oral health promotion team. Both staff and children have accepted this programme into their daily regime very successfully.”

ENDS