Below you will find information about:
Applying for a dentist
Top Ten Tips to keep your children’s teeth healthy
Hidden Sugars
Fluoride Varnish
Applying for an NHS dentist
There is no need to register with a dentist in the same way as with a GP because you are not bound to a catchment area.
Simply find a dental surgery that's convenient for you, whether it's near your home or work, and phone them to see if there are any appointments available.
You can search for an NHS dentist near you using the link below:
Top Ten Tips to keep your children’s teeth healthy
1. Brush last thing at night and one other time of day
2. Use a fluoride toothpaste (0-3 years 1000ppm fluoride, 3+ years more than 1000ppm)
3. Supervise under 8s when brushing
4. Use a smear of toothpaste for under 3s
5. Use a pea sized amount of toothpaste for over 3s
6. Spit and don’t rinse after brushing
7. Take your child to the dentist as soon as they have teeth and continue regular visits
8. Avoid sugary and acidic food and drinks between meals
9. Milk is a tooth friendly drink during the day; water is tooth friendly at any time
10. From 6 months old encourage the use of open top cups
Here is the tooth brushing song that we use at Nursery
Hidden Sugars
It’s surprising to see how much sugar is hiding in our children’s diets. See how your child's sugar adds up with this quick and easy sugar check:
Below are some key messages around sugar and a short YouTube film showing how much sugar is in each drink
Quitting fizzy drinks: Fizzy drinks are the largest single source of sugar consumption for children aged 11-18, and they provide an average of 29% of daily sugar intake - cutting them out for a month is an easy way to reduce sugar intake and to help encourage a reduced intake for the rest of the year, by switching to healthier alternatives.
Sugar-free fizz is still bad for teeth: The fizz in sugar-free drinks is still acidic, and can cause tooth erosion, so it's much better to switch to tooth-friendly alternatives like water, milk, or a small serving of fruit juice - but this is best consumed with a meal, to avoid the erosive acidity of the fruit juice.
Reduce sugary snacks: the risk of developing tooth decay increases as the amount and frequency of sugar consumption rises.
Watch out for 'hidden' sugars: pure fruit juices can be a healthy choice, but the natural sugars these contain can still damage teeth. If you are offering fruit juice, drink it with a meal and only in a small glass (up to 150ml).
Do you know how much sugar is in your drinks
Have you asked your dentist about fluoride varnish?
Children should be offered fluoride varnish treatment at least twice a year,
from the age of 3
Fluoride varnish can be applied to both baby teeth and adult teeth by a dental professional
It can be applied every 6 months or more frequently, as prescribed by a dentist
Varnish containing a concentrated level of protective fluoride is painted onto the surface of the teeth
It can strengthen teeth, making them more resistant to decay
It usually has a pleasant taste