Top Tips for Teeth – Change4Life Campaign

We are supporting the Top Tips for Teeth – Change4Life Campaign at the practices.

This campaign provides messages of support and advice to families to help them:

• Be sugar smart – make healthier food and drink choices by swapping out sugar.
• Visit the dentist regularly – parents might not realise that trips to an NHS dentist are free for pregnant women and anyone under the age of 18.
• Brush your teeth twice a day – plus tips for tooth brushing, recommended toothpaste amounts and the positive effects of fluoride.

You may see the posters and leaflets up in the practices when you come in for your appointments. We will be providing support, advice, leaflets and activity posters that will help patients make positive changes to their lifestyle to improve their overall wellbeing and particularly their oral health through using this campaign.

There are two different sections to the campaign. Start4Life encourages and equips parents-to-be and parents to adopt the behaviours that will give their children a healthy start in life and help prevent childhood obesity and related illnesses. It focuses on breastfeeding and healthy weaning, offering parents a range of resources to help build their confidence to master and sustain these key activities, and lay the foundation for future healthy behaviours. Please look for more information and helpful advice on their social media pages.

Start4Life Twitter: www.twitter.com/NHS_Parents  #Start4Life @NHS_Parents

Start4Life Facebook:  www.facebook.com/Start4LifeInformationServiceForParents

While Change4Life is a society-wide movement that encourages young families to make positive changes to their diet and activity levels. The initiative was started to tackle the growing trend of childhood obesity and obesity-related illnesses, with a particular focus on reducing sugar intake in children. This sugar intake also has an associated link with a patient’s oral health.  Change4Life is now a trusted and recognised brand, with 97% of mothers with children aged 5-11 associating the campaign with healthy eating.