What happens in nurseries and schools
The Childsmile Nursery and Childsmile School programmes deliver a range of preventive care interventions for children who are at increased risk of dental disease from nursery age three until they leave primary school. Fluoride varnish is applied twice yearly in priority nurseries and schools in each Health Board.
Targeting oral health inequalities: priority nurseries and schools
Nurseries and schools participating in fluoride varnish and P1 and P2 toothbrushing are targeted as areas of greatest need. They will be selected on the basis of the proportion of children attending the establishment who live in areas of relative disadvantage. Childsmile uses the definition from the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD).
How is Childsmile Nurseries and Schools delivered?
- Supervised daily toothbrushing programmes in all nurseries and priority schools.
- Oral health education for children in schools and nurseries.
- Advice and information for parents and carers to help them care for their child’s teeth.
- Free dental packs, with toothbrush and toothpaste.
- Fluoride varnish applications to children’s teeth twice a year in priority nurseries and schools.
Toothbrushing
See Childsmile Core for information on the Toothbrushing programme: National Standards and find links to resources and guidance.
Fluoride varnish
Childsmile Nursery and Childsmile School provide twice-yearly fluoride varnish application for priority nurseries and schools.
Key components:
- admission is by consent form, usually given out either at the time of nursery enrolment or during Childsmile consent meetings
- twice yearly fluoride varnish applications to children’s teeth
- updating of medical history consent every six months.
For background on fluoride and why we use it, go to the Why use Fluoride varnish? page.
Childsmile teams
These consist of EDDNs (extended duty dental nurses) and DHSWs (dental health support workers).
EDDNs apply the fluoride varnish to the children’s teeth.
DHSWs are attached to identified nurseries and schools, and provide the main dental contact point for teachers, parents and school nurses.
They meet with the head teachers and organise suitable dates and times for consent meetings (if applicable) and the six-monthly fluoride varnish application visits.
Consent forms
Admission to the toothbrushing programme (also known as Childsmile Core), Childsmile Nursery and Childsmile School requires parental consent. The consent forms are usually given out by Childsmile staff at the time of nursery enrolment or during consent meetings.
If the child is part of Childsmile Nursery and School, they will sign a combined consent form (toothbrushing and fluoride varnish) instead of a toothbrushing only form. This requires updating of medical history and consent every six months.
Health Boards previously used their own consent forms but all have agreed to move onto the national Childsmile consent form.