Should you need urgent health advice please contact your GP or call NHS 111. In an emergency please visit A&E or call 999

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National Smile Month 13th May to 13th June 2024

‘Love Your Smile’ and celebrate National Smile Month.

Good oral health has many benefits, not only for your mouth but your general wellbeing too.

Taking good care of your oral health keeps your teeth and gums healthy and helps protect against tooth decay and other health conditions.

Support National Smile Month and promote a healthy smile for everyone.

Looking After Your Child’s Teeth

  • Start brushing your baby’s teeth as soon as the first tooth breaks through.
  • Brush teeth twice daily using fluoride toothpaste. Once last thing before bed and at another time during the day.
  • Use only a smear of toothpaste if your child is less than three years of age and a pea size amount if your child is over three years of age.
  • Use toothpaste with at least 1000 parts per million of fluoride.
  • Take your child to the dentist when their first teeth appear. This will help them become familiar with the environment and visiting the dentist.
  • Offer baby a free flow cup or open top cup from six months of age and stop the use of bottles by 12 months of age.
  • Offer only water and milk to drink.

How To Get Involved

Help the Tooth Fairy celebrate National Smile Month by decorating Tooth Castle with your drawings and poems about why you ‘Love Your Smile’.

Tooth Fairy Competition (dentalhealth.org)

Further Information:

ParentLine logo

Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust runs a confidential secure text messaging service for parents of children aged 0-5 years called ParentLine. The service operates Monday to Friday between 9.30am and 4.30pm in Brighton & Hove and Monday to Friday between 9am to 4.30pm in West Sussex, excluding bank holidays. All texts will be responded to by a health visitor within 24 hours. Outside of the service working hours, you’ll receive a message back to inform you that your text will be responded to once the line reopens.

Should you require urgent health advice in the meantime, please contact your GP, visit an NHS walk-in centre or call NHS 111. For emergencies, dial 999 or visit A&E.

This page was last reviewed on 30-04-2024

This page will be next reviewed on 30-04-2027