Funding for brighter smiles in Salford schools 

City council’s public health team awarded funding to expand supervised toothbrushing training for school children 

There are 257 schools and nursery classes currently in operation across the city of Salford, Greater Manchester. More than half – 55% – are in the top 20% of the most deprived areas of the country, with the highest concentration in East Salford. 

Salford City Council’s oral health team has been working to improve health among children with training in toothbrushing already taking place in 157 school classes – some 61% of the total. 

Now, the council has secured national grant funding to expand this provision, which will be particularly targeted to those most deprived areas. Resources to support toothbrushing will be delivered to schools three times a year, with personalised storage racks, toothbrushes and toothpaste and take-home packs.  

There will also be resources tailored for children with special educational needs and difficulties, including multi-headed toothbrushes and non-foaming toothpaste. 

The package includes support for teachers in running daily group toothbrushing activities, and online training and information covering such matters as risk assessments, parental consent and cleaning plans.  

To help track the success of the initiative, biennial surveys will assess dental decay rates among five year-olds in Salford. 

Cllr John Merry, Deputy City Mayor and Lead Member for Adult Services, Health, and Well-being at Salford City Council, says: ‘The prevalence of dental decay among five year-olds in Salford is 36.4%, significantly higher than the England average of 22.4%. This emphasises the urgent need for effective oral health improvement programmes like this one.  

‘I fully support the research which shows that the use of fluoride toothpaste significantly reduces the risk of dental decay. Additionally, implementing a supervised toothbrushing programme in nursery classes is strongly correlated with a decrease in dental decay, especially in the most disadvantaged areas. I recommend that all eligible schools accept this offer. 

‘Furthermore, it is encouraging to see an increase in support for children with additional needs. It is essential to provide parents and caregivers with information that educates them not only about the risk factors for dental decay but also about ways to improve overall health and well-being. This illustrates our commitment to reducing health inequalities and aligns well with our corporate priorities of helping everyone in Salford live longer, healthier and happier lives.’ 

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