How did it start?

Brush bus

Childsmile developed largely from two national demonstration programmes (2006-08) laid out in the Action Plan for Modernising Dental Services in Scotland (2005).

The Core (toothbrushing) programme began earlier in many NHS Board areas.

Childsmile Practice (in West of Scotland NHS Boards)

Childsmile Nursery and Childsmile School (predominantly in the East of Scotland NHS Boards)

The interim demonstration phase began in 2008 and involved rolling out a fully integrated Childsmile model (Core, Practice, Nursery and School elements) across all 14 NHS Board areas, divided into East, West and North regions:

East

  • Borders
  • Fife
  • Forth Valley
  • Lothian
  • Tayside

West

  • Ayrshire and Arran
  • Dumfries and Galloway
  • Greater Glasgow and Clyde
  • Lanarkshire

North

  • Grampian
  • Highland
  • Orkney
  • Shetland
  • Western Isles

Over time Childsmile will provide a continuum of care from birth throughout childhood with appropriate care pathways responsive to individual child need.