World Oral Health Day
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Rates of tooth decay in five-year-olds drop to 27% from 42%
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Free Oral workshops provided to families and schools
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More than 2,500 children benefit from the supervised toothbrushing programme
Harrow’s children are brushing up on their best smiles. That’s because tooth decay rates have dropped significantly, thanks to Harrow’s Public Health supervised toothbrushing programme in schools. This includes free oral health workshops for families.
Recent survey data shows Harrow’s rates of tooth decay in five-year-olds fell from 42.4% in 2019 to 27.6% in 2025. Over the last year, more than 2,500 children have taken part in tooth brushing exercises across 82 Harrow schools and early year settings. Hundreds of families have attended workshops which provide expert advice on dental hygiene and best practice to keep tooth decay down.
Councillor Jean Lammiman, Portfolio Holder for Public Health said:
“Tooth decay isn’t just a cosmetic problem, it can cause pain, school absences, speech problems and even land children in hospital. There has been a lot of work that has taken place to put children’s dental health at the top of the agenda.
“We’re putting residents first by addressing tooth decay early. By doing that it means we will see healthier, happier children and take some strain off parents and our healthcare system. That’s really something to smile about.”
World Oral Health Day is a global initiative to promote good oral hygiene and raise awareness of the importance of dental health.
Parents and carers can find free oral health workshops at our Family Hubs. To find a local dentist visit the NHS website and type in your postcode or for urgent care call NHS 111.
Further work is being carried out by Harrow Public Health to better understand the borough’s oral health needs. Let us know your thoughts in this short survey at MyHarrow Talk which closes on 14 April.