Children brush better after brushing lesson

22-07-2015

Three-quarters of the oral care providers and 70% of the teachers expect that after a Keep your mouth healthy! brushing lesson will brush their teeth better. 44% of the respondents from oral care and 40% of the respondents from education also expect that the education project Keep your mouth healthy! of the Ivoren Cross will give an impulse to the dental visit of the students. This is evident from the online Keep your mouth healthy! survey that generated 2,100 full responses from teachers and 1,266 responses from oral health care providers. After a Keep your mouth healthy! brushing lesson Teachers and dental care providers, who provide brushing lessons at primary schools and preschools, receive an online survey. Of the respondents from oral care, 43% are (prevention) assistants, 25% are dental hygienists and 17% are dentists. In addition, GGD employees, students of oral care and dentistry or dental assistants in training, among others, completed the questionnaire. Of the respondents from education, 84% teach at a primary school and 16% work at a playgroup.

Teachers (very) satisfied with cleaning lessons Keep your mouth healthy!
About the Keep your mouth healthy! cleaning lesson given in his or her group, 97% of the teachers and leaders is very satisfied (61%) or satisfied (36%). The written teaching material is rated 'good' by 90% of the dental care providers. Of the teachers, 73% (20% had no opinion) indicated this. Almost all teachers (96%) and oral care providers (91%) find the brushing package containing elmex toothbrushes, elmex toothpaste and parent brochures a good addition to the brushing lesson. Many dental care providers want to give another brushing lesson. Even 70% is willing to give another brushing lesson at a school that knows it is necessary to pay attention to oral health.

19,165 cleaning lessons
Up to and including the just completed 2014-2015 school year, 19,165 brushing lessons have already been given to approximately 575,000 children. The national education project Keep your mouth healthy! was initiated and developed by the Ivory Cross. A central part is the visit of a voluntary dentist, dental hygienist or prevention assistant to the class. In addition to a visit by a dental care provider, the free teaching project consists of written teaching material and the website www.houjemondgezond.nl. For all children there is an elmex toothbrush, a tube of elmex toothpaste and an informative leaflet for their parents/carers with tips for caring for children's teeth.

Promote healthy mouth
The aim of the educational project is to promote a healthy mouth by reducing caries and dental erosion and by encouraging visits to the dentist. Furthermore, the Ivoren Cross wants to create awareness among children of preschools and primary schools of their own influence on (oral) health. Children who learn the right attitude, knowledge and skills to take good care of their teeth and mouth are also more skilled in prevention and self-care in preventing more serious preventable diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and dietary-related cancers. If you want to give or receive a lesson yourself, you can sign up via www.houjemondgezond.nl. More information and experiences can also be found on and also on Facebook and/or Twitter.