Always remember
– You should brush your teeth twice a day – before bed and one other time
– You should use fluoride toothpaste
– You should spit out toothpaste after brushing rather than rinsing
– You should drink plain water and/or milk
– Keep sugary foods and drinks to mealtimes only and limit their frequency
Mouth health, or “oral health”, is closely linked to body health. Deterioration of mouth health is reported among patients during hospital stays. When children are in hospital, they may not want to brush their teeth because they feel unwell or too tired.
The mouth may feel sore or dry, which can make it more difficult to eat or drink. Mouth care in hospital is essential to maintaining healthy mouth conditions and to reduce the risk of acquiring infection or other health complications.
Mini Mouth Care Matters is a training initiative launched in Alder Hey to empower medical and allied medical healthcare professionals to support children and young people in maintaining optimum mouth health during hospital stay.
The initiative looks to ensure good oral hygiene measures such as brushing and good diet choices. It also provides mouthcare packs for children and young people in the wards. Mouthcare packs include toothbrushes and toothpaste.
Alder Hey, with the support of Liverpool City Council and Alder Hey Children’s Charity, has produced several videos to support families and children in improving oral health while in the hospital.
Oral health
Diet
We hope to encourage everyone to prioritise oral health care to maintain healthy smile. If your child not registered with a dentist, we encourage you to do this. You can find your nearest dentist at: https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist
More information
For helpful information about how much sugar is in every day foods, have your child take this fun, interactive ‘Sugar Spies’ quiz at https://savekidsfromsugar.co.uk/downloads/quiz/.
You can find lots of helpful information and resources on oral health on the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry website at https://www.bspd.co.uk/Patients/PatientInfo.