Background
Contents
Tooth decay is largely preventable!
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A key behaviour for preventing tooth decay is toothbrushing with fluoride toothpaste. Supervised toothbrushing programmes enable young children, aged three to six years, to brush their teeth under the supervision of staff each day they attend nursery or school. These programmes are designed to complement (rather than replace) toothbrushing at home. The ultimate goal is to establish good life-long oral health habits of toothbrushing with a fluoride toothpaste to prevent tooth decay and improve quality of life. A logic model is provided below which shows the intended outcomes of the programme in more detail.
They are recommended by NICE and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (Public Health England has now transitioned into OHID) as they are effective in reducing tooth decay, especially for children with the greatest risk. They are cost-effective too!
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In some areas, supervised toothbrushing programmes are run in conjunction with a fluoride varnish scheme, however, this toolkit focuses on supervised toothbrushing programmes alone.
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Logic Model for Supervised Toothbrushing Programmes
A logic model is a useful way to present the relationships between the inputs or resources (what you need to provide), activities (what you do), outputs (what you produce), outcomes (the results) and the overarching ultimate goal or impact. A logic model helps stakeholders think about the activities they are involved in, what they hope to achieve and what needs to be done to make it happen.
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