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In Nursery we will be playful with children about oral health by providing roleplay resources so children can brush the teeth of dolls or soft toys. Read stories about teeth and smiles. Talk about healthy food and drinks that help to grow strong teeth, and those that do not. Get them to look at their own and each other’s teeth, using mirrors.

You can support your children’s awareness of oral health by:

• encouraging your child to visit the dentist with you from an early age, so they become familiar with the setting

• providing them with their own toothbrush and toothpaste

• joining in with their toothbrush routines

• register your child at your local dentist

Here are some songs that you can sing to your child while they clean their teeth for the recommended 2 minutes....  

Wiggle–Jiggle tooth (Tune – ‘Old Macdonald’)  

In my mouth, I have some teeth  

E i e i o  

And in my mouth I put my brush  

E i e i o  

With a wiggle-jiggle here and a wiggle-jiggle there  

Here a wiggle, there a jiggle  

Everywhere a wiggle-jiggle 

 In my mouth I’ll keep my teeth  

E i e i o 

Brush, brush, brush your teeth (Tune ‘Row, row, row your boat’)  

Brush, brush, brush your teeth Brush them every day  

We put toothpaste on our brush To help stop tooth decay  

Clean, clean, clean your teeth Clean them every day  

Your teeth will sparkle for years to come In the most beautiful way  

Brush, brush, brush your teeth Brush them every day Happy, healthy teeth you’ll have If it’s done this way 

Why Oral Health is included in the Early Years Framework....

This has been included because good oral health habits need to be formed from the earliest age. Tooth decay is largely preventable, but it’s still a serious problem among young children.  Nearly a quarter of 5 year olds in England have tooth decay, with 3 or 4 teeth affected on average.

Tooth extraction is one of the most common procedures for children under 6 in hospital. Extraction is also the most common reason for hospital admission for children aged 6 to 10. Children from more deprived backgrounds are more likely to have tooth decay.

Children who have toothache, or need treatment, may have pain or infections. This can have a wider effect and lead to problems eating, sleeping, socialising and learning.