Our three Senior Infants are currently doing the Mighty Mouths Programme.The overall aim of the programme is to focus attention on the importance of oral health for children who are at greatest risk of developing dental disease. The programme concentrates on the value of good dental care as part of childrens’overall health and well being. In particular it emphasises the essential role of
tooth-friendly foods and drinks, and of supervised regular effective tooth brushing with fluoride toothpaste. It also includes information and advice on dental services for children.

Why is it important to teach children about dental health ?

• Habits formed in early years can last a lifetime.
• Poor oral health can affect self-esteem.
• Poor nutritional practice can affect general health as well as oral health.
• Poor oral health can cause unnecessary pain and trauma.
• Children can avoid the need to have teeth extracted particularly under general
anaesthetic.
• Baby teeth act as an important guide for permanent teeth.

Did You Know

Harmful sugars hidden in foods and drinks are not that easy to identify. If you
look at ingredient labels you might be surprised that products saying ‘no artificial additives’, ‘low fat’ or ‘healthy’ may contain a large amount of added sugar.
• The sugar names are: sucrose, glucose, corn syrup, fructose, maltose, dextrose, and fruit sugar.
• Products labelled as being ‘low in sugar’ may only be low in sucrose sugar and high in other sugars!
• Some products saying ‘no added sugar’ may contain fruit sugars instead of sucrose and can still be harmful.
• Fizzy drinks are not tooth-friendly. These drinks contain carbonate, which wears away the enamel covering of the tooth.

How can we prevent tooth decay

In very basic terms there are two main actions we can take to prevent tooth decay:
1. Restrict sugar containing foods and drinks to meal times.
2. Brush teeth twice daily with a fluoride toothpaste. This will help by making the tooth enamel more resistant to tooth decay.

Tooth Brushing

• Children under two years of age do not use toothpaste.
• From two until seven years parents and guardians can start to use toothpaste, but only use a small pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste.
• Supervise brushing twice a day, in the morning and at night just before bedtime.
• Children under seven are not able to brush their own teeth properly, they need help from an adult, the same way they need help shampooing their hair and tying their shoelaces.
• Remember children should never eat or swallow toothpaste. Children should not eat toothpaste from the tube.
• It takes three minutes to brush teeth properly (about the length of a song!).

Room 12,13 and 14 will be receiving their Mighty Mouths Certificates next week when they have the programme completed. Keep up the great work !!!