Children in Lincolnshire have been taking part in Open-wide day as local dentists attempt to improve oral hygiene among the younger generation. Oasis Dental care hosted the event to encourage children to keep their teeth clean and let them know that visiting the dentist does not have to be a scary experience. The day involved various demonstrations that help patients identify problem areas where oral hygiene needs to be improved and practice manager Stacey Prince was pleased with how things turned out; ‘The day went really well,’ she said ‘A major thing we see is that children are very scared of coming to the dentist and we see it a lot more now with children because it rubs off from the parents.’
The Open-wide day was aimed at demonstrating that visiting the dentist can be a fun experience, to make sure children don’t develop dental phobia later in life. Including the raffle and face painting, visitors could try a plaque treatment, Stacey explains ‘With the plaque search they chew a tablet and it targets the plaque that’s stuck to their teeth. It turns blue if it’s been there a while and red if it’s new so it shows where you are missing or forgetting to brush. It’s also a way to get them to brush their teeth properly afterwards to get the blue off.’
Proceeds from the raffle went to the Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre and goodie bags for kids will be given away over the next few weeks.