We have high levels of tooth decay in Salford, even in the very young. Tooth decay causes discomfort, sleeplessness, and limitations in eating, leading to poor nutrition and time off school or work due to dental problems.
A healthy mouth enables people to communicate, eat and enjoy a variety of foods, socialise with family and friends, and children to attend school and contribute to their self-esteem, confidence and readiness to learn. Poor dental health can affect one’s general health and wellbeing.
It’s a public health priority that we take every opportunity to provide oral health advice so good habits start young in our Salford children and these habits are continued throughout life
The oral health team use their specialist clinical knowledge to support improving oral health in Salford.
Learn more about how to look after your mouth:
Looking after your mouth (Oral Health Foundation)
The team are involved in several programmes and work streams, including the following:
Mouth Care Matters in the community setting
The Mouth Care Matters programme is offered to all care homes within Salford. Working alongside care home managers and staff, we strive for continuous improvement in oral care provided to the residents of Salford. There are lots of mouth condition that elderly people can suffer from making eating and drinking difficult and the elderly with dementia may find it difficult to communicate these problems.
In addition, oral care training is provided to wider care facilities, including supported living and services that provide home care.
Useful links and guidance on oral health (NICE.org.uk)
The Supervised Toothbrushing Programme
The Supervised Toothbrushing Programme is aimed at all nurseries and schools for children aged three to five years. The programme aims to reduce the prevalence of tooth decay by providing children with a toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste to use in school to compliment brushing at home, which is especially important as some children may not be encouraged to brush their teeth at home. There is strong evidence that the daily application of fluoride toothpaste to teeth reduces the incidence and severity of tooth decay in children.
If you are a setting that would like to engage in the programme, please contact the team via - phsecretary@salford.gov.uk
Family Hub interventions and other services we work with:
- Providing oral health training to Early years settings
- General support for families within Salford
- Involvement in local community events
- Involvement in subgroups
How to maintain a health mouth
Maintaining good oral health involves regular brushing, flossing, a healthy diet, and regular dental check-ups.
Looking after your mouth (Oral Health Foundation)
Urgent Dental Care for patients in Greater Manchester is accessed via our Urgent Dental Care Service on 0333 332 3800 from 8am to 10pm every day, including weekends and bank holidays.