Schools should check kids brush teeth

More than one in 10 three-year-olds in England have rotten teeth.

In some parts of the country, as many as half of five-year-olds have decayed, missing or filled teeth.

NICE's new guidelines for England say nurseries and schools should consider introducing supervised tooth-brushing and fluoride varnishing programmes.

Professor Mike Kelly, director of the Centre for Public Health at NICE, said: "Children, as young as three, are being condemned to a life with rotten teeth, gum disease and poor health going into adulthood.

"Many children have poor diets and poor mouth hygiene because there is misunderstanding about the importance of looking after children's early milk teeth and gums," he added.

School tooth-brushing

Nurseries and primary schools should supervise tooth-brushing in areas with a high level of child tooth decay, the advisory body said.

Tooth decay in children and adults is disproportionately higher in disadvantaged areas, as well for vulnerable people, and in some ethnic minorities, NICE said.

After local authorities identify areas that would benefit, free toothbrushes and fluoride toothpaste should be handed out to parents and carers for use at school and at home, it advises.