Our practitioner Amanda held an oral hygiene coffee morning for parents at Mereside Primary Academy in Blackpool
News article from December 6, 2022
School-Home Support practitioner Amanda is based at Mereside Primary Academy in Blackpool. She started to notice that some of the children around the school were showing signs of tooth decay. In discussion with the school’s family liaison team, it was decided that a themed coffee morning would be a great opportunity to tackle the issues and provide parents with the support they needed to encourage better oral hygiene for their children.
In conversation with parents, many expressed to Amanda that the themed coffee morning was a great idea and was well timed, as many were finding it difficult to get their children into a dentist after the pandemic and weren’t sure of the best ways to keep their children’s teeth healthy.
Amanda ran the coffee morning to a packed room of parents all eager to speak one to one with the NHS school nurses. During the session, the nurses provided a display with pictures and information, particularly about gum health and the correct way to brush children’s teeth. Parents took away free toothbrushes, toothpaste and leaflets, feeling empowered to implement the nurses advice at home with their children.
Some of the parents in attendance shared their thoughts about the coffee morning:
‘It’s nice to see the coffee morning being used as a platform for the children and parents of Mereside. Bringing in people such as the NHS school nurses talking about oral hygiene is a fantastic step. Let’s keep it going with other agencies coming in, that could shed some light on our needs.’
‘It helped to find out how I can source a dentist. We could do with more helpful coffee mornings like this. It was very good. Lots of information.’
‘I have young children and knowing when to start brushing has been a question I have pondered. It was helpful to get good advice. It was interesting and thought provoking.’