By bringing together key oral health messages, guidance on recognising concerns, and clear signposting to dental services, these resources (on the BPSD website) help professionals feel confident discussing oral health and supporting families to access the right care at the right time.
The toolkit provides practical guidance for professionals working across child health settings, including doctors, nurses, health visitors and allied health professionals. It includes age-specific oral health advice, information on when concerns should be escalated, guidance on safeguarding and dental neglect, and case studies showing how oral health conversations can be incorporated into everyday practice.
The Mini Mouth Care Matters implementation guide supports organisations and clinical teams to embed oral health into routine care. It provides step-by-step advice, practical tools and ready-to-use resources to help establish and sustain local programmes that improve children's oral health in healthcare settings.
Dr Helen Stewart, Officer for Health Improvement, said:
Paediatricians are acutely aware of the importance of helping to protect children’s oral health. Tooth decay in children is entirely preventable, yet it remains highly prevalent with children living in the most deprived areas are significantly more likely to experience tooth decay. That is why our partnership with BSPD to engage the paediatric professional community in this area is so important.
A growing body of evidence shows the effectiveness of brief oral health interventions delivered by non‑dental professionals, supervised toothbrushing programmes, and integrated care models. This toolkit brings that evidence together in a practical, accessible way to support professionals across child health.