The Teeth Team is very concerned about the latest statistics on childhood obesity and dental decay which ranked Nottingham as performing the worst in Britain. Teeth Team is currently involved with three primary schools in Nottingham and would like to expand to help address this important issue, especially as obesity and tooth decay often go hand-in-hand.
“The health of our local children shouldn’t be anywhere near as bad as it is. There are simple ways to help improve it, and we must do whatever we can to fix it” said Graham Allen MP.
To mark World School Milk Day 2016, the School and Nursery Milk Alliance produced a league table of the areas in England with the combined highest rankings for obesity and dental decay among five-year olds, and Nottingham came top of the table.
A study curried out by Northumbria University concluded that drinking milk may support immediate and lasting dental and bone health in five-11 year old children, and could have a positive effect on preventing childhood obesity. Children over the age of five are eligible to receive EU-subsidised milk through the European School Milk Scheme. However, the future of this scheme is now in doubt following the vote to leave the European Union in June.
“Drinking milk is clearly beneficial to young children so I urge the Government to ensure that leaving the EU doesn’t disadvantage our children’s health by replacing the benefits of this scheme” Graham continued. “Dental health is one area in particular where the children of Nottingham North lag way behind. It is unacceptable that a five year-old in Jeremy Hunt’s constituency is four times less likely to suffer from tooth decay than one in my patch – no child should have to experience this just because of where they’re born. Tooth decay is completely preventable yet it’s the main reason that our children are admitted to hospital.
Politicians need to work to give children the best possible start in life alongside dentists, teachers, and parents. One way this is being done is through my work with Teeth Team – a scheme which originated in Hull and is now being piloted in 3 primary schools in Nottingham North – which arranges linking dental practices with local schools and have someone visit the schools, check the kids teeth and teach them about the importance of good oral hygiene.”
For more information about what foods are good for your children’s teeth and overall health, please visit our dental advice page or come in to see one of our dental hygienists who can discuss nutrition and food choices with you.
