Oral health promotion teams at Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust (CLCH) have been providing supervised toothbrushing training to schools and nurseries in Hammersmith and Fulham and Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, helping to prevent tooth decay for some of the most deprived children in the capital.
More than 215 staff at 61 schools and nurseries have been trained by skilled oral health promoters to lead daily toothbrushing sessions for pupils over the last two years.
The aim is to protect the youngsters against tooth decay – the number one reason for hospital admission for children aged five to nine in England.
Data from April 2023 – March 2024 showed that 9,215 children and teenagers aged 0-19 in London have had tooth extractions in hospitals.
Thanks to the training and commitment from staff and schools, over 1400 children have brushed their teeth daily with the right technique and correct amount of fluoride toothpaste, under the guidance of their teachers and early years practitioners. With the start of the new school year, even more children are benefiting from the scheme.
The scheme started as a pilot in January 2024 in Hammersmith and Fulham and expanded to Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea in October 2024, targeting 3–4-year-olds in the most deprived areas of these boroughs.
With the government’s national rollout of supervised toothbrushing this autumn, CLCH’s programme will be expanding to include more schools and five-year olds. This will mean even more pre-schoolers and reception classes will learn how and when to brush their teeth, building good habits for life.
May Indrakumar, Clinical Director of Community and Specialist Dental Services for CLCH, said: “Schools and nurseries who have taken part in the scheme tell us they find it easy and worthwhile – attendance rates improve as children stop missing school because of tooth pain.
“Nationally, children in the most deprived areas are twice as likely to have teeth removed under general anaesthetic as children in the most well-off areas.
“Tooth decay can seriously impact children’s lives. It doesn’t just cause pain, it can affect their speech development, school attendance, their ability to chew, friendships and sleep. The good news is that it is almost always avoidable.”
“Research in Scotland found that tooth decay in young children dropped by 47% after they had daily supervised toothbrushing at school, with the greatest fall in the most deprived groups.
“That’s why this scheme is so important, and we are delighted to have been able to support hundreds of young children in Hammersmith and Fulham and Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea to learn how to look after their teeth and build a healthy habit for life.
“It doesn’t stop with the children, either. One mum told me that, since her son has been completing toothbrushing at school, he is making sure his family all do it at home too. That’s a real success story.”
Colville Primary School in Kensington and Chelsea is one of the schools that has received oral health training from CLCH staff.
Dani Shurmur, Early Years Educator at Colville, said: “We had children who were missing school due to toothache and emergency dental appointments. But through supervised toothbrushing, we’ve seen attendance increase. It really helps to support families, starting with the child. They take what they’ve learned home and have positive conversations with their parents. We’re seeing real changes: children are happier in the classroom, free from tooth pain, and proud of being independent. They love taking part and often share what they’ve learned about good oral health with their families.”
Laurie Grandy, Headteacher at Colville, added: “School is about educating the whole child, not just academically, but about how to look after themselves and make healthier choices. Supervised toothbrushing helps children build independence and self-care into their daily routine. We’ve seen that it really makes a difference, and it helps to set them up with good habits for life.”
