The Health Minister was met by Year 6 school ambassadors when she visited Ninian Park Primary in Cardiff to watch a Designed to Smile (D2S) session in action.
The D2S programme is a National Oral Health Improvement scheme to improve the oral health of children in Wales. Funded by the Welsh Government and delivered by the Community Dental Service, the targeted programme has been running in Wales since its pilot in 2008 and its wider roll-out to all children in areas of greatest need in 2009.
During her visit, the Minister was on hand to see a Dental Health Educator demonstrate the importance or oral hygiene through the use of puppets and mouth models.
After the puppet shows the children were encouraged to clean their teeth themselves, a habit promoted by all schools taking part in the D2S programme.
Health Minister Lesley Griffiths said:
Health Minister Lesley Griffiths said:
“The Welsh Government is determined to tackle oral health inequalities. Recent figures show over 50% of 5 year olds in Wales have experienced tooth decay. This is unacceptable when dental decay is avoidable simply by improving diet and nutrition and encouraging young children to develop the habit of brushing their teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste.“The Designed to Smile Programme continues to expand with some 62,000 children participating in the scheme, delivered through 954 schools and nurseries, improving their oral health and preventing tooth decay.“We have made significant progress across Wales with more children taking part in tooth brushing schemes, providing young people with the tools they need to develop and maintain good oral health from an early age.”