NHS South West have launched a Big Brush Club competition for primary school pupils aged 3-5 years across the South West
Primary school pupils from across Somerset and the South West are being invited to enter a competition with a chance to win one of two £50 Amazon vouchers.
The competition is part of the NHS South West work to establish oral hygiene routines in children aged 3-5 years of age and will run until the end of May 2025.
Pupils can colour mascot or sing as an individual, group, class or school to enter. Singing entries must record their version of the Big Brush Club toothbrushing song – anything from 5 up to 30 seconds in duration.
The Big Brush Club is delivered by At Home Dental who were commissioned in 2023 to deliver a three-year supervised toothbrushing campaign across designated primary schools in the South West.
For full details of the competion, including how to enter visit the NHS South West Supervised Toothbrushing Scheme webpage.
Dentisitry in Somerset
In 2023/24 Healthwatch Somerset completed an in-depth report on dentistry across the county gathering feedback from over 1,000 people.
A key theme that emerged was strong support from parents for improved access to free dental care for children.
In, response, we recommended the introduction of targeted oral health and prevention programmes for school-age children.
Mandy Starks, our Engagement Officer who undertook the Dentistry project, said:
"I am pleased to see NHS Somerset taking positive action on this recommendation. Supervised toothbrushing schemes are now being introduced in schools across Somerset. It is crucial to teach children about good oral health, this is a vital step toward improving long-term dental health outcomes for children".
Download and read our full report with key points and recommendations: