More than two thousand children in Northamptonshire got direct lessons on oral health this year. Dental Nursing students and staff from the University of Northampton led the effort. They ran hands-on workshops in primary schools, aiming to build good habits before dental problems start.
According to the 2023 national oral health survey, 23.7% of 5-year-olds in England had obvious tooth decay, highlighting the ongoing need for early intervention.
For the students, these placements are more than just a requirement. Layla Whittaker, one of the Dental Nursing students, called the experience both rewarding and formative. "For me, being able to promote oral health to children in schools gave me the satisfaction that I did something good and to have done it well. I think that is very important because its means when kids have a good oral hygiene routine from young age and it helps to prevent any issues further down the line. Delivering the workshops also helped me build up my confidence supporting children with their oral health and tailoring these messages to certain age groups."
The programme reached 2,169 children during the 2025-2026 academic year. This included sessions at the STEAM Northants careers and futures showcase at Waterside Campus. The team's work will be discussed further at the University's Café Scientifique research talk and Q&A on 24 September. Brigette Gouda will present research on how dental nurses can support early oral health interventions for infants and toddlers.
The 2023 survey also revealed a stark inequality: 34.0% of 5-year-olds in the most deprived areas had obvious decay, compared with just 13.5% in the least deprived areas, underscoring the link between deprivation and oral health outcomes.
What's different in Northampton is how academic learning meets real-world action. By putting students in schools, the programme gives future dental professionals real communication skills and delivers public health benefits right away. If this kind of grassroots work grows, it could change oral health for a generation. The evidence is clear: prevention starts young, and the Dental Nursing team at Northampton is showing that the classroom can be where change begins.
Still, getting NHS dental care for children is tough in many parts of England. NHS figures for 2025/26 show only 58.1% of children under 18 saw an NHS dentist in the past year, according to regional NHS reporting. This makes school-based prevention and education even more important as a backup to clinical care.
National public health strategy still puts early years prevention first. Supervised brushing, family support, and school-based promotion are common because childhood tooth decay is still one of the main reasons young children end up in hospital, as shown in official NHS England materials.
