Oral Health Week at Leighton Park

Leighton Park is celebrating Oral Health Week from Monday 24^th to Friday 28^th March continuing the awareness of the topic raised by World Oral Health Day earlier in the month. We are welcoming Leighton Park parent, Dental Hygienist and Therapist, Rosie Sands, to the Health Centre during lunchtime on Friday 28^th March for a demonstration of various interdental cleaning and brushing techniques using oral hygiene aids. Rosie will also provide disclosing solutions/tablets and electric toothbrushes for students to assess their teeth cleaning skills.

Year 8 and 9 also focussed their attention on oral health in PSHE on Thursday 27^th March. OMÜ (Orthodontic Mobile Unit), an innovative service offering orthodontic treatments and educational workshops, delivered a talk followed by interactive games. The students join in on the buzzer to play ‘True or False’, they guessed the sugar content of a range of drinks and they spent time matching up the before and after photographs of celebrities who have undergone orthodonic work. During the sessions, our Year 8 and 9 students gained insights into the causes of tooth decay, the impact of poor oral hygiene, the actions they can take to look after their teeth, including healthy eating, and the importance of maintaining good dental hygiene.

Shannon Durrans, OMÜ Treatment Co-ordinator, explained, “Our purpose is to save children missing lessons so our main aim is, instead of them coming to us, we bring dental care to them.” OMÜ provides treatments, including braces, on school grounds, addressing a common challenge faced by many families, children missing school for orthodontic appointments.

As highlighted on OMÜ’s website, poor dental health in children is a growing national concern. They note: “Due to rising statistics on poor dental health, it is essential that we take action. By bringing our ‘Teeth Academy’ to schools, we aim to combat gum disease and tooth decay in young people.”