Sugarless Green: An education intervention programme on oral care and gardening for primary school children

Each year, about 60,000 school days are missed because children need to have tooth extractions (Public Health England, 2019). In London boroughs alone, the NHS spends approximately £7m for acute dental care for children, including these emergency extractions (British Dental Association, 2019). This has led to the British Dental Association (BDA) declaring the prevalence of tooth decay in young children as a crisis and calling for more political action geared to prevention (BDA, 2019). Tooth decay is not an isolated physical health issue; it also affects mental wellbeing. In the UK, 12% of children have nightmares about their teeth and 18% are stressed about the general appearance of their teeth and smiles (Oral Health Foundation 2020). Covid-19 has exacerbated these issues due to heightened restrictions, causing a back log of dental appointments and increased anxieties for families visiting dentists (Westgarth, 2020).

This project aims to support health and wellbeing in young children by reinforcing correct oral hygiene techniques, and also educating them on healthier food choices, as alternatives to sugar. The programme will be facilitated by Roehampton students in collaboration with our Student Union's Growhampton hub, offering a series of 45-min sessions for children from the local primary schools from the Alton Estate to engage in a lesson on oral hygiene. More details can be found at: https://www.melissajogie.com/sugarless-green-project

This project is seed funded by Research England QR Strategic Priorities Fund for research conducted in 2021.