Guidance:Update 17th April, 2025

Improving oral health: Supervised toothbrushing programme toolkit

Commissioning and delivering supervised toothbrushing schemes in early years and school settings. Thank you, Brush Bus, for the picture. https://thebrushbus.com/collections/brush-racks

Evidence for carrying out supervised toothbrushing 

There is strong evidence that the daily application of fluoride toothpaste to teeth reduces the incidence and severity of tooth decay in children. However, in the Children’s dental health survey 2013 (commissioned by the Health and Social Care Information Centre) it shows children in more deprived areas tend to have poorer oral health compared to their less socially disadvantaged peers, and are also less likely to brush their teeth twice daily.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) public health guideline (PH55) Oral health: local authorities and partners recommends supervised toothbrushing schemes for nurseries and primary schools in areas where children are at high risk of poor oral health. Supervised toothbrushing schemes also support the NHS Core20PLUS5, an approach to reducing health inequalities for children and young people, of which oral health is one of the clinical priorities for children.

The following infographic in the guidance Improving the oral health of children: cost effective commissioning describes supervised toothbrushing schemes having a return on investment (ROI) over 5 years of £3.06 for every £1 spent (acknowledgement to PHE). The second infographic features the Core20PLUS5 approach to reducing the inequalities for children and young people – oral health is a necessary feature (acknowledgement to NHSE).

To read the full report, please follow the link https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/improving-oral-health-supervised-tooth-brushing-programme-toolkit/commissioning-and-delivering-supervised-toothbrushing-schemes-in-early-years-and-school-settings

The Society is delighted to be part of the professional working group -Chair Lisa Andrews Davies & Fiona Ellwood.