Playbox Project Could Solve Child Dental Care Crisis, Says Charity Chief

STOCKPORT, U.K. - Oct. 23, 2014 - PRLog -- NATIONAL expansion of Cheshire’ successful Dental Playbox Project could provide an effective solution to the crisis in children’s dental care according to charity chief  Val Jackson who has outlined her view in a letter to the head of health watchdog NICE.

The chief executive of Stockport based Action for Sick Children has told NICE director Professor Mike Kelly that her charity’s successful Dental Playbox Project is an efficient and effective means of teaching the basics of good dental health to youngsters.

“We have a proven means of educating young children in the benefits of regular tooth brushing and dental health awareness,” added Miss Jackson, who was speaking after calls for schools to lead the battle against child tooth decay.

“Furthermore, our Playbox sessions work. We have used the Playbox project to deliver fun, engaging BUT extremely effective dental health awareness to youngsters right across Greater Manchester and into Cheshire. However, with sufficient funding, we could take the Dental Playbox nation-wide.”

Miss Jackson was speaking after NICE had called on schools to combat the shocking levels of tooth decay in youngsters by teaching children to brush their teeth.

According to the health watchdog, bad habits and sugar-laden diets were blamed for creating a dental health problem so severe that some children as young as three years old were being admitted to hospital to have all 20 milk teeth extracted under general anesthetic because of the level of decay.

Miss Jackson added:” Teachers have got enough on their plates without the adding dental care education to their responsibilities. However, the Dental Playbox Project is a proven ready-made solution that could be made available to the widest possible audience with the right funding.

“That’s why I’ve written to Professor Kelly because he needs to know that the Dental Playbox Project is a proven solution to poor dental care awareness in children.”

The Dental Playbox uses role play, uniforms, hand puppets, games, stories and toothbrushes to engage children and prepare them from an early age for a trip to the dentist.

As one head teacher said, “the Dental Playbox makes a serious personal health issue into something that is fun, safe and accessible.”

For further information click onto: www.actionforsickchildren.or.uk

ENDS