Plans for a new oral health initiative have recently been revealed by chief dental officer, Sara Hurley. The new concept has been named ‘Smile4life’ and will be a national framework for all new initiatives in areas of oral health and hygiene. The plans were created following Hurley’s recent tour of NHS regions in England, where she witnessed positive collaboration between multiple agencies and health care professionals.
The new plans, in the initial stages, have a strong focus on the early year’s age group, with a view to extending this to the wider public over time. The initiative is pushing for babies to have dental check-ups by the age of one, in an effort to foster and promote positive attitudes towards dental health from a young age. There will also be a strong focus on encouraging dietary changes to reduce sugar intake in children, one of the leading causes of tooth decay.
The programme hopes to encompass and utilise many areas of oral health and establish commitment, integration and partnerships from wider professional sectors, such as, health visitors, schools, Accident and Emergency wards and GPs. The initiative also hopes to gain parental support as, presumably, they are seen as an integral part of making the initiative a success.