Childsmile
Saltire Dental Care is a Childsmile Practice. Childsmile is a NHS (Scotland) initiative to improve children's dental health, promoting a holistic approach to healthy living and engendering habits of diet and dental hygiene which will be lifelong. Children who attend nurseries, schools, childminders and after school clubs should be offered healthy snacks and drinks as part of national initiatives to improve dental and general health.
From 6 months of age, dental appointments are made for the child on a regular basis. A programme of Childsmile care, tailored to meet the needs of the individual child, is provided by the dental team. This includes: oral health advice, for example, on healthy weaning; teething and toothbrushing instruction; provision of free dental packs; and annual dental check-ups from the age of 18 months, plus twice-yearly fluoride varnish applications to the child's teeth from 2 years of age. Children registered with dental services for Childsmile Practice will continue to attend this service throughout childhood.
Extended duty dental nurses (EDDNs) are trained in oral health promotion and fluoride varnish application to support the dental team to provide Childsmile care.
Key components:
- Dental appointments from 6 months of age.
- Oral health promotion and clinical prevention tailored to the needs of the child.
- Six-monthly fluoride varnish applications for children from 2 years of age.
- Annual check-ups with dentist.