MPs back prevention to tackle children’s oral health crisis
Denplan and Dentaid oral health education programme hits 160,000 milestone
Leading Parliamentarians, Denplan members and wider members of the dental profession have called for greater preventative action from the government to combat children’s tooth decay in the UK.
The call was made in Parliament during an event showcasing the success of the Denplan and Dentaid The Dental Charity BrightBites programme, which to date has helped 160,000 children access vital oral health education.
Children’s tooth decay is now the leading cause of hospital admissions among five-to-nine year olds, with one in five parents reporting their children don’t brush twice daily.
MPs and health leaders urged the government to put prevention at the core of its approach to children’s health and dentistry reform.
Thursday 23 October: Embedding prevention at the heart of dentistry is essential to tackling the children’s oral health crisis, Parliamentarians and industry leaders have said.
The calls were made during a Parliamentary event hosted by Denplan, part of Simplyhealth and attended by 12 MPs from across the political spectrum, as well as policymakers, professional bodies and dental professionals to discuss steps to improve outcomes.
During the event, the dental payment plan provider and Dentaid The Dental Charity celebrated a milestone achievement, as their BrightBites programme – designed to help children learn about the importance of good oral health – has now reached 160,000 children across the country. To celebrate and raise further awareness of the programme, children from Cordwalles school in Camberley, Surrey, took part in a live oral health education session in the Houses of Parliament.
Since 2024, Denplan and Dentaid, The Dental Charity have worked together to deliver in-person education sessions to schools, nurseries, and clubs for low-income families, providing a range of resources, including toothbrushes and toothpaste for every child, toothbrushing charts, stickers, and healthy teeth leaflets, to educate and inform children about oral health. The programme aims to reach 500,000 children by 2028.
Tooth decay remains the leading cause of hospital admissions for five-to-nine-year-olds, with one in five parents reporting their children don’t brush twice daily.1 This is putting children at risk of long-term damage and wider health problems, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke and rheumatoid arthritis.
The NHS currently spends £45.8 million on hospital-based decay-related tooth extractions for children2 – a procedure that is preventable. Access to NHS dentistry also remains a critical barrier: up to 96% of practices are not accepting new adult patients3, leaving families waiting until problems escalate, increasing costs for both patients and the health system.
At the event, MPs and health leaders urged the government to embed prevention at the heart of dentistry reform – not only through education programmes like BrightBites, but by investing in the dental workforce and enabling professionals to deliver the care they were trained to provide
Delegates called for:
Simon Opher MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Health, said:
“The APPG on Health has heard firsthand the need to look at how the dental landscape can be strengthened for the future. Too many people across the country are unable to access care, and an overstretched dental workforce lacks the comprehensive support it needs. Without the urgent action discussed at Denplan’s parliamentary reception, we cannot address immediate challenges or ensure we are set up for longer-term success.
“As policymakers, it is more important than ever that we listen to all voices across the sector to understand how we can work together to deliver a sustainable future for dentistry.”
Helen Morgan MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Health and Social Care, said:
“As a critical area of health, improving dental care is a key priority for the Liberal Democrats. More must be done not just to address access barriers, but to ensure that we work to improve oral health more broadly across the UK.
“As part of this, it is fantastic to see positive oral health education initiatives such as BrightBites, which show how engaging and educating children about oral health from an early age can make prevention a reality rather than an aspiration. This is the kind of work that can help reduce inequalities and improve access in the long term.
“I look forward to continuing to work with Denplan and others across the sector to take forward the learnings from today – with the aim of moving towards a society where dental care works for all.”
Dr. Matthew Nolan, Head Dental Officer at Denplan, said:
“Reaching 160,000 children with BrightBites is a milestone to be proud of. We want to improve outcomes for all children in the UK, and through this programme, we are on a journey to educate at least 500,000 children by 2028. Yet it is also a moment to acknowledge the scale of the challenge we face. Preventable dental disease is costing the NHS millions each year and causing avoidable pain and disruption for children and families. We desperately need change to make prevention the priority, enabling closer collaboration across sectors to ensure oral health is fully recognised as a crucial part of overall health and wellbeing.”
Andy Evans, CEO of Dentaid The Dental Charity, said:
“BrightBites is about making oral health education as accessible as possible, which is why we’re trying to reach as many children as possible in areas where children are at risk of social exclusion, including many who may already be experiencing health inequalities from an early age.
“Reaching 160,000 children across the UK with BrightBites is an incredible milestone, but we’re all too aware that number only represents one step on our journey in getting this important message out there.
“Events like this one today will go a long way towards increasing awareness of the BrightBites programme and letting schools know how transformative it can be for their pupils’ health as we look forward to teaching 500,000 children across the UK."
By embedding healthy habits early, BrightBites complements the Government’s recently announced supervised toothbrushing scheme, as well as going further in engaging parents and supporting schools on improving children’s oral health outcomes. The programme is particularly targeted at children in deprived areas where inequalities are most acute.
For further information please contact: [email protected]
References
Denplan (2024) Oral Health Survey Results 2024. Available at: https://a.storyblok.com/f/273343/x/80abb55e2a/denplan-consumer-oral-health-survey-results-2024.pdf
Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (2025) Short statistical commentary for hospital tooth extractions in 0 to 19 year olds 2024. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hospital-tooth-extractions-in-0-to-19-year-olds-2024/short-statistical-commentary-for-hospital-tooth-extractions-in-0-to-19-year-olds-2024
British Dental Association (2024) Up to 96% of practices unable to offer care to new NHS patients. Available at: https://www.bda.org/media-centre/up-to-96-of-practices-unable-to-offer-care-to-new-nhs-patients
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