Cheshire and Merseyside Expand Children's Oral Health Programmes
NHS initiative builds on success to reach more young people with vital dental support in schools and hospitals.
By Megan Worthington
••3 min read
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Generic image of a child's toothbrush and toothpaste tube on a clean white surface, with a blurred background of colourful children's drawings.
Thousands more children and young people across Cheshire and Merseyside are set to benefit from expanded oral health support, as NHS Cheshire and Merseyside approves plans to continue and roll out key programmes.
The NHS Cheshire and Merseyside has approved plans to continue and expand the All Together Smiling supervised toothbrushing programme and roll out the Mini Mouth Care Matters programme to children's wards across district general hospitals in the region. This initiative aims to improve children's oral health and reduce inequalities.
Tooth decay remains a significant health challenge for children, being the leading cause of hospital admissions for those aged five to nine. The All Together Smiling programme, launched in April 2024, has already supported around 18,400 children in 359 settings, distributing over 451,000 oral health packs. It focuses on reducing inequalities by targeting children in the 20% most deprived areas and will now expand support for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
The Mini Mouth Care Matters programme, initially developed at Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, will be expanded into children's wards across district general hospitals. This programme integrates oral health assessments into routine paediatric care, having already supported over 4,400 children and trained more than 900 healthcare professionals at Alder Hey.
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"Prevention is one of the most effective ways we can improve health outcomes for children and young people, and oral health is a vital part of that. The success of All Together Smiling and Mini Mouth Care Matters demonstrates the difference that early support, education and prevention can make, and we're delighted to be able to build on that success by extending support to even more children and young people across Cheshire and Merseyside."
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"We are incredibly proud of what has been achieved through All Together Smiling in partnership with local authorities, Public Health teams, early years and education settings, and delivery partners across Cheshire and Merseyside. The programme has demonstrated that, by working together, we can successfully embed prevention within everyday settings and reach thousands of children who may otherwise be at greater risk of poor oral health and wider health inequalities."
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"When a child is in hospital, oral health can easily be overlooked, particularly when families have so many other things to think about. Through the programme, we have been working with staff on the hospital wards to make mouth care part of everyday care, helping them identify problems early and giving children, young people and families the advice and support they need."
Further information and resources about both programmes are available on the NHS Cheshire and Merseyside website and the Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust website.
