First Smiles 2025 – making every smile count
Rhiannon Jones, President of the British Society of Dental Hygiene and Therapy (BSDHT), highlights how dental professionals can play a hands-on role in delivering vital oral health education to children through the First Smiles campaign this June.
Despite being largely preventable, tooth decay remains the most widespread childhood disease in the UK, affecting thousands of children every year.1 Around 250,000 primary school children experience decay, with nearly one in three starting school already showing signs of dental disease in some areas of England. The consequences can be severe, leading to difficulty eating, missed school days, and costly hospital extractions.2
How can we change this for future generations? Early education is key to breaking this cycle, helping children build habits that support lifelong oral health. With this in mind, the British Society of Dental Hygiene and Therapy (BSDHT), supported by Oral-B, is leading the charge with First Smiles – a nationwide initiative taking place this June, to bring vital oral health education into schools and nurseries….