Teeth brushing becomes part of daily routine at Family Hubs

Blackburn with Darwen Family Hubs and Children Centre Nurseries are playing a crucial role in supporting oral health improvement for children.

The centres offer accessible education, resources, and early interventions for families and all children now brush their teeth every day. That’s a total of 411, two to four year olds!

Councillor Julie Gunn, Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Children, Young People and Education said:

This is fantastic news and shows the vital role our Family Hubs and partners are playing in promoting children’s good oral health in the borough. We are making really good strides in Blackburn with Darwen in reducing rates of tooth decay and this toothbrushing initiative is a big part of that. Well done to all involved!

Councillor Damian Talbot, Executive member for Public Health and Housing, agreed by adding:

Public Health and the Family Hubs are working with families and offering awareness, support and education around oral health including through our fantastic parent champions who help to spread the word about good toothbrushing. This is really positive and I want to say a huge well done to the Family Hubs nurseries and our brilliant children.

The hubs are providing guidance on proper dental hygiene, healthy eating habits, and the importance of regular dental check-ups.

They integrate oral health awareness into broader family support services and ensure that parents and caregivers are equipped with the knowledge and tools to promote good oral health practices from an early age.

This then helps to reduce tooth decay and improve long-term health outcomes for children in the community.

Watch the video below to see how the hubs have helped to improve oral health in the borough: