Paving the way

The council voted in favour of providing schoolchildren with fluoridated milk in an effort to address the worrying levels of dental decay in the area.

The initiative is set to be part of their free breakfast scheme, which was introduced in 2013, and will provide milk to more than 8,000 schoolchildren in 77 primary schools.

Michaela ONeill, president of the British Society of Dental Hygiene and Therapy (BSDHT), said of the decision: “It is great that the local council has recognised that something needs to be done to address this huge problem and taken positive action.

“The area which this change will happen is in one of the areas which has the highest levels of child dental decay in the UK, with more than one in three five year olds having suffered from problems.

“Other areas with similar levels of oral health problems have already introduced such schemes and this is an opportunity to show other councils that with a small, inexpensive change, huge benefits can be had.”