Apps and games could improve childrens’ oral health
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- Published: Tuesday, 29 March 2016 07:33
- Written by News Editor
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A recent article on daynurseries.co.uk headlined apps and games could hold the key to improving children's oral health features, among others Ben Underwood who talks about the state of children’s oral health and of his innovation, the Brush DJ app, which has been downloaded in more than 190 countries worldwide, across more than 220,000 devices.
Ben Underwood is quoted in the article as saying: “Every year approximately 26,000 young children are admitted to hospital in England to have decayed teeth extracted under a general anaesthetic, making this preventable disease the most common reason for children between the ages of five and nine to be admitted to hospital. The decay that results in these teeth needing to be extracted often starts before the age of five. Children start to get teeth from the about six-months-old and as soon as they erupt into the mouth there is a risk of tooth decay. An effective daily oral hygiene routine from as soon as teeth erupt can prevent the build-up of dental plaque, which causes tooth decay."
He continued: “The Brush DJ app contains the evidence-based oral health information given in the Public Health England document, ‘Delivering Better Oral Health’ on how best to reduce the risk of tooth decay from birth and upwards. This excellent document was sent to dentists, but sadly a public or patient facing version was never produced - Brush DJ is a public and patient facing version that aims to make this information accessible to anyone. Whilst awareness of this information by parents and carers is important, it is vital that the knowledge gained is actioned - hence the use of music to makes the mundane task of brushing for the correct length of time more fun and therefore more likely to happen.” A US study revealed that the average time spent brushing was just 46 seconds, substantially shorter than the recommended time of two minutes.
The article also says that a ‘number of dental support schemes are already in existence to help reduce the number of children developing tooth decay and dental problems before they start school and encourage them to live healthy lives.
Dental Buddy was created by the British Dental Health Foundation. The programme helps to encourage children to brush properly and for the recommended length of time, and supports dental professionals when they offer advice to children in an education setting.
For more information on Brush DJ, visit: http://www.brushdj.com or to find out more about Dental Buddy and Brush Time, visit: http://www.dentalbuddy.org.
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