Free dental health checkups for hundreds of children at a Luton school thanks to charity

The London-based charity will visit Waulud Primary School and Nursery this Friday (July 15)
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The Dental Wellness Trust is to provide over 250 children at a school in Luton with free dental screenings and fluoride varnishing.

The charity will be at Waulud Primary School and Nursery on Friday (July 15).

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This community-led initiative is part of the charity’s national programme, Livesmart Dental Care, which aims to bridge the gap where reducing numbers NHS dental practices across Britain are unable to take on additional patients due to limited capacity, financial resource and thousands of dentists exiting the profession.

The charity visit Waulud Primary School and Nursery.The charity visit Waulud Primary School and Nursery.
The charity visit Waulud Primary School and Nursery.

Founder Dr Linda Greenwall said: “Without question, the impact of poor oral health on the quality of life is of urgent importance. This is why initiatives such as the Livesmart Dental Care programme are vital in providing essential treatment, interventions and preventative advice for these children and help reduce the risk in later life of chronic diseases.”

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Dr Greenwall added: “However, unless urgent action is taken by the Government to include oral health prevention and toothbrushing programmes, the UK is set to see higher rates of tooth decay among the Covid generation of pre-school children who have never seen a dentist or delayed seeing one for too long.”

Headteacher, Mrs Devereux from Waulud Primary School and Nursery said: “We are thrilled that the Dental Wellness Trust has chosen to work with our school and nursery and offer these essential oral health screening to many of our children, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds.”

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A report by Luton Borough Council's scrutiny children's services review group found that nearly two in five of five-year-old children have tooth decay - one of the highest amounts in the nation.

The report explained that Luton's high cases of tooth decay in five-year-olds at 37.6 per cent contrast with a 23.3 per cent figure in England.

Michelle Bailey, senior commissioning manager for the public health team, said: “"There's a significant link between ethnicity and dental decay. The closure of the children's centres in the town had an impact on how we deliver our services.

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