Denplan and Dentaid’s BrightBites programme delivers oral health education to 30,000 children
With 15 million school days missed in 2023 due to dental problems1, and tooth decay the most common reason for hospital admissions in children aged 6-102, the BrightBites programme aims to help address the crisis in children’s oral health.
BrightBites, the oral health education programme from leading payment plan provider Denplan and Dentaid The Dental Charity, has delivered sessions to more than 30,000 school children across the country.
In December last year, Denplan, part of Simplyhealth, partnered with Dentaid The Dental Charity and have since donated £195,000, to expand the BrightBites programme with the aim to reach a minimum of 90,000 UK school-aged children.
Targeting schools, nurseries and clubs for low-income families, BrightBites volunteers deliver in-person sessions, with a range of resources including toothbrushing charts, stickers, and healthy teeth leaflets, to educate and inform children about oral health.
The partnership also provides teacher and parent/carer resources designed to work alongside the curriculum. Every child is also provided with a toothbrush and toothpaste to continue their positive oral health journey.
As tooth decay remains the most common reason for hospital admissions in children aged 6-102, the BrightBites programme is needed more than ever before. New data published in Denplan’s 2024 Oral Health Survey revealed that half of parents haven’t taken their children to the dentist by the age of three, despite the official recommendation to take them as soon as their first milk teeth appear, typically at six months old.
The research also found that parents welcomed further education on oral healthcare habits, with 86% agreeing that good habits should be taught in childhood to improve health for life, and thanks to the efforts of over 250 volunteers, BrightBites oral health education sessions have been delivered in more than 335 education settings across the UK.
Andy Evans, CEO of Dentaid, said: “BrightBites is really picking up pace and is being delivered to more children at risk of social exclusion than ever before. We’ve had fantastic feedback from the schools and venues we visit including an email from a school in Yorkshire who told us many of their children previously had very little knowledge about oral health and were facing hygiene poverty so they’d been hoping for a programme like BrightBites for years. It’s also wonderful to see so many dental professionals and teams from across the industry along with Simplyhealth and Denplan colleagues gifting their time to deliver BrightBites and help instil good brushing habits and a knowledge of oral health from an early age.”
Charlotte Cook, ESG Lead at Simplyhealth and Denplan, said: “Reaching 30,000 children, many of whom experience health inequalities and social deprivation, marks a significant milestone for our BrightBites programme. We’re incredibly proud of how we’re using our business as a force for good, the positive impact we’re having and our success so far, but we need more volunteers to help us on our mission to deliver oral health education to at least 90,000 children. We would also like to invite more education settings to register to host a BrightBites session, so we can support the oral health of the next generation.”
No dental qualifications or expertise are required to volunteer for BrightBites, and all materials and training are provided. You can register your interest to volunteer here.
References:
1. According to the Denplan Oral Healthcare Report 2023
2. According to Office for Health Improvement & Disparities