Two million toothbrushes delivered
Hundreds of thousands of children in deprived parts of England are already benefiting from a major government-backed drive to improve oral health.
More than 2 million toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste have been handed out to 3 to 5-year-olds this year through a pioneering supervised toothbrushing scheme.
The initiative, part of the government’s Plan for Change, is designed to tackle health inequalities by instilling good habits early. Around 600,000 children in nurseries and schools are expected to benefit this academic year alone.
The rollout marks the start of a five-year collaboration between the government and Colgate-Palmolive, which has pledged to deliver 23 million oral health products nationwide.
Stark health gap exposed
Health Minister Stephen Kinnock highlighted the scale of the challenge during a visit to Tinsley Primary School in Sheffield, where 9,500 children will receive products this year.
“It is Dickensian that a third of five-year-olds in the most deprived areas have suffered tooth decay,” he said, describing tooth extraction as the most common reason young children are admitted to hospital.
Education Minister Olivia Bailey said the scheme is about ensuring children are “school-ready at age five – healthy, confident and ready to learn.”
She linked the project to wider reforms, including expanded childcare and Best Start Family Hubs in every council area.
Economic and health impact
Tooth decay affects around 70 children a day who require hospital extraction in England. The government estimates the programme could return £3 for every £1 invested, saving the NHS millions while reducing inequalities.
Colgate-Palmolive vice-president Jimena Rodriguez said the company was “excited to have already delivered more than 2 million products” and aims to distribute a further 3 million by December.
The British Society of Paediatric Dentistry welcomed the programme as an “evidence-based intervention” that has been called for over a decade.
Councils, too, are backing the initiative as vital to reducing pressure on wider health services.
Prevention first approach
The supervised toothbrushing scheme is part of a broader prevention strategy that includes proposals for expanded water fluoridation, curbs on junk food advertising, new baby food standards and restrictions on high-caffeine drinks for under-16s.
Officials say the goal is simple: to raise the healthiest generation of children yet, tackling health inequalities at their root and shifting focus from treatment to prevention.
