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Animated video from Dr. Ranj that explains what good oral health looks like. Suitable for 3-6 year olds.

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How to care for the teeth of children aged 3-6 with Dr Ranj and Supertooth!

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Oral Health Support pack provided by the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry. Includes guidance on toothbrushing, visiting the dentist, bottle/dummy use and Diet.

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QR codes to the BSPD website - available in many languages

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QR codes to the BSPD website - available in many languages

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'A practical guide to children's teeth' from the BSPD. Available in many languages (including Punjabi, Urdu, Bengali and Romanian). Simply scan the QR code provided.

Also a QR code with links to videos that can support young children and a QR code to help support dental checks for babies under 1 year.

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Top tips for preventing tooth decay, as well as guidance on how much toothpaste to use for different age groups.

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Oral Health Foundation - shop and resources

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Oral Health Foundation - shop and resources

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Link to the Oral Health Foundation, which can support schools with resources and oral health promotion to Parents and Carers.

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The Oral Health Foundation is an independent charity (not for profit) dedicated to improving oral health and wellbeing around the world. For more than 45 years we have continued to provide expert, independent and impartial advice on all aspects of oral health directly to those who need it most.

We work closely with governments, dental and health professionals, manufacturers, the dental trade, national and local agencies and the public, to achieve our mission of addressing the inequalities which exist in oral health, changing people's lives for the better.

Formed in 1971, the concept of preventive dentistry and the benefits which could ensue from it were then very new and being practiced by only a small proportion of the dental profession. The founding fathers of the Oral Health Foundation wished to see the preventive message that 'Teeth are for Life' spread as widely as possible, with the aim of improving the overall oral health of everyone.

Here are some of the major challenges we face:

To improve oral healthcare and promote practice in good oral hygiene.

To increase the awareness of mouth cancer and reduce mortality rates through early detection and the changing of lifestyle habits.

To see the addition of fluoride to drinking water.

To increase the number of people visiting a dentist on a regular basis.

To continue to be a successful independent supplier of oral health promotional material to the health community.

Our work to improve the state of the oral health and wellbeing includes:

Educational resources

As a charity, we provide high quality information and oral hygiene products to health professionals everywhere. We have over 7,000 customers from dental surgeries, health centres, hospitals and education centres, offering a range of more than 500 products which offer value and quality to professionals seeking oral health education and motivational materials for their patients and their local community.

Although most of our educational resources are used in the UK, our oral health products are increasingly used overseas. Our patient information translated into nine other world languages and distributed throughout Europe and the Arabian peninsula.

We also supply oral health materials for the Dental Defence Service, going to troops and service personnel all around the world. We send tens of thousands of much needed oral hygiene products every year to more than 30 countries including Germany, Cyprus and Iraq.

Campaigns and initiatives

We organise and run two annual campaigns in the UK, National Smile Month and Mouth Cancer Action Month, in addition to school-based programmes like Dental Buddy. We use these campaigns to spread public awareness of oral health issues via the press while encouraging the health profession to be more active in education and oral health promotion in their local communities.

These campaigns have also grown overseas. We have helped health bodies and organisations in Ireland, the United States of America and the Middle East, all conduct their very own National Smile Month. We have also assisted oral health associations in eastern Europe organise dedicated mouth cancer campaigns.

Our membership to the Platform for Better Oral Health in Europe also puts us in a key position to promote oral health and the cost-effective prevention of oral diseases in Europe. The group seeks a common European approach towards education, prevention and access to better oral health in Europe

Consumer confidence

For more than 25 years, we have helped the dental profession and members of the public make informed choices about which oral care products they buy. Our Approved Products Schemes gives us the opportunity to provide people with information, protection and education regarding which oral health products they buy, and ensures that the marketing claims made by manufacturers are trustworthy and backed up by scientific evidence.

We are proud that our Approved Products Scheme is now the largest of its type in the world, with more than 150 products spanning across more than 50 countries.

Changing our name

In April 2016, we changed our name from British Dental Health Foundation to Oral Health Foundation, to better represent our growing body of work globally. The new name also signalled the shift in terminology over the last few decades from 'dental health' to 'oral health' - a term which is far more all-encompassing and really highlights that the health of our mouth is about more than our teeth.

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Please check your inbox to confirm your subscription.

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About us The Oral Health Foundation is an independent charity (not for profit) dedicated to improving oral health and wellbeing around the world. For

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A great infographic from the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry. It can be downloaded and shared with Parents/Carers or used on a display. Includes top tips!

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QR codes for the BSPD website - available in many languages

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QR codes for the BSPD website - available in many languages

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A great resource that can be sent to parents/carers or on a display board. Contains 3 QR codes that when scanned, takes the user to various parts of the BSPD website. Includes: oral health advice for parents/carers in many languages, links to videos for children and a link for supporting dental checks for babies.

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Supporting Children with SEND through a Supervised Toothbrushing Programme

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Supporting Children with SEND through a Supervised Toothbrushing Programme

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Information for Parents/Carers of a child with SEND to support with a Supervised Toothbrushing Programme

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Oral health guide for Parents and Carers of Autistic children and Young People

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Supporting children with sensory processing needs - Westmorland and Furness local SEND offer

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Supporting children with sensory processing needs - Westmorland and Furness local SEND offer

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Ideas for supporting children with Sensory Processing Needs. Provided by Westmorland and Furness Local SEND offer.

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Supporting children with sensory processing needs

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Children with sensory processing needs may find certain sounds, textures, movements or environments difficult to manage. This page explains what sensory processing differences are, how they can affect daily life, and the practical support available.

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Supporting children with sensory processing needs with self-care tasks (Sheffield Children's NHS trust)

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Supporting children with sensory processing needs with self-care tasks (Sheffield Children's NHS trust)

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Practical ideas for supporting children with Sensory Processing Needs. Links to resources and videos to help support children with many self-care tasks, including teeth-brushing, nail cutting, sleep, dressing, hair-washing and showering/bathing. Provided by Sheffield Children's NHS trust.

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Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust

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What is the Sensory Service?

The Sensory Service is a multi-disciplinary team based at the Ryegate Children's Centre in Sheffield. We aim to help parents, carers, school staff and young people to have a better understanding of sensory processing and how this impacts on every day life. We provide information and advice on how to adapt activities and the environment to support children's sensory needs. The team includes Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Clinical Psychology, Speech and Language Therapy.

What is sensory processing?

Sensory processing is the way that our body takes in and makes sense of information. Our senses include hearing, vision, touch, taste and smell, as well as vestibular processing (which helps with balance and movement), proprioception (which is the awareness of our body in the space around it), and interoception (our awareness of our internal body feelings). We use our senses every day to interact with the world.

What might happen when sensory processing becomes a problem?

Children might find sensory information overwhelming and they might struggle to cope with certain sensory experiences. They may try to avoid certain things, people or places.

Children might find everyday tasks difficult to tolerate, such as showering, wearing certain clothes, eating or teeth-brushing.

Children may seek out sensations to help them to regulate in a way that creates a problem in another way, (for example, needing to move a lot during lessons).

When children are overwhelmed by sensory information it can make it more difficult for them to communicate their needs.

Sensory sensitivities can lead to higher stress and anxiety levels in a child. This in turn can mean they're more tuned into sensory information and can become overwhelmed more easily.

Children may present differently from one day to the next and their sensory needs may be context specific or be influenced by other factors, such as mood, tiredness or stress levels.

Who is the service for?

The service is for any child aged 3-16 years, living in Sheffield, who is having day to day difficulties because of the way that they process sensory information. Children known to the CAMHS Learning Disability service will be re-directed to CAMHS Occupational Therapy, if needing support beyond Universal Provision.

What is the Virtual Therapy Area?

The Virtual Therapy Area is our universal provision, the first level of service for all families. It aims to provide parents and carers with knowledge, ideas and strategies to support your child or young person with sensory needs that may be impacting on their every day life. These resources are primarily aimed at supporting children who are neuro-divergent; for example, your child may have a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) or a combination of these. However, your child may not have any diagnosis, but may present with sensory needs that are creating challenges in everyday life. Or your child might have a different diagnosis and also have sensory needs that are impacting on their day to day life.

The Royal College of Occupational Therapists states "The term Sensory Processing Disorder is not recognized as an independent diagnosis...and should be avoided" (RCOT Informed View, 2021). Therefore, at the Sheffield Sensory Service, we do not formally assess or provide diagnosis of Sensory Processing Disorder. Our focus is to offer sensory interventions that support a child's sensory needs by adapting tasks or the environment, and by improving a child's capacity for self-regulation.

In addition to the virtual resources, our multi-disciplinary team deliver sensory training to Sheffield schools and educational establishments, and we are aiming to support all schools in Sheffield to be 'sensory accessible'.

If you need these resources in a different language, look at the bottom of the page for a guide to Google Translate.

How to use these resources

Translating information to your home language: Google Translate

1) Click the Google Translate button:

2) Click on your home language. The text will then change

Google Translate may not translate all words correctly. Please contact us on 0114 271 7645 if you have any questions about the text.

Translating information to your home language: subtitles

1) Click the subtitles icon

2) Click the settings icon then ' subtitles/CC'

3) Click Auto-translate

4) Choose your language

You need to turn on the subtitles for all the videos.

The subtitles are translated through YouTube. Some words may not be translated correctly. Please contact us on 0114 271 7617 if you have any questions about the videos. We can arrange a telephone call with an interpreter if needed.

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Sensory processing difficulties - Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust

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What is the Sensory Service? The Sensory Service is a multi-disciplinary team based at the Ryegate Children's Centre in Sheffield. We aim to help parents, carers, school staff and young people to have a better understanding of sensory processing and how this impacts on every day life.

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A list of low-foaming toothpastes for children with sensory needs

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toothbrushes and toothpaste for children with SEND

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toothbrushes and toothpaste for children with SEND

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Link to Sanderson shop. Here you can purchase low foam and no-flavour toothpaste, as well as specialist toothbrushes and finger brushes. These can be helpful for children who bite toothbrushes or are sensitive to strong flavours or textures.

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We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Find out more.

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Cumberland Neurodiversity and Emotional Wellbeing Service

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Cumberland Neurodiversity and Emotional Wellbeing Service

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New neurodiversity pathway for children aged 0-19 years old (up to 25 if they have SEND) living in EDEN area only. Includes a QR code to scan to make a referral for support if you feel your child may have ADHD or Autism.

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ADHD North-West Parental referral form. Support for parents/carers and children who either have a diagnosis of ADHD or on the ADHD pathway. Open to children who live within the footprint of Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB.

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Professional referral form for children 0-16 years who ARE NOT registered with and NHS dentist. Provided by Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB. There is currently 1 Practice in Kendal and 1 in Barrow-in-Furness taking part in the scheme.

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How to clean your baby and toddler's teeth

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How to clean your baby and toddler's teeth

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Information on how you can establish a good oral hygiene routine for your baby or toddler. Includes top tips and a lovely video from Dr. Sara Kayat.

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Baby and toddler tooth care - Best Start in Life - NHS

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Help your little one maintain a lifetime of healthy smiles by teaching them good dental habits, such as regular brushing and not eating or drinking too much sugar.

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Video on teeth cleaning (7 years upwards)

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Video on teeth cleaning (7 years upwards)

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Animated video from Dr. Ranj that explains what good oral health looks like. Suitable for children aged 7 years and over.

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How to care for the teeth children aged 7+ with Dr Ranj and Supertooth!

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How to clean your child's teeth (aged 0-3 years)

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How to clean your child's teeth (aged 0-3 years)

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Video from Dr. Ranj to help Parents and Carers support tooth care for babies and children aged 0-3 years.

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How to care for the teeth of children aged 0-3 with Dr Ranj and Supertooth!

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OHID guidance on oral health improvement

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OHID guidance on oral health improvement

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Guidance for Professionals on improving oral health outcomes for children and young people.

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The Public Health England team leading this policy transitioned into the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) on 1 October 2021.

Introduction

This guide is part of 'All Our Health', a resource which helps health and care professionals prevent ill health and promote wellbeing as part of their everyday practice. The information below will help front-line health and care staff use their trusted relationships with patients, families and communities to promote the benefits of good oral health for children.

We also recommend important actions for managers and staff holding strategic roles.

Further information is available in the All Our Health collection.

Improving the oral health of children is an Office for Health Improvement and Disparities ( OHID) priority, OHID has an ambition that every child will grow up free of tooth decay, to help give them the best start in life.

OHID has established a Child Oral Health Improvement Programme Board ( COHIPB) working with a range of partners and stakeholders, to improve the health of all children, and reduce the oral health gap for disadvantaged children.

The Board launched in September 2016, and introduced the COHIPB Action plan, which details 5 high-level objectives of the board, how they will be delivered, and what success looks like.

Oral health is part of general health and wellbeing, and contributes to the development of a healthy child as well as school readiness.

Access the child oral health e-learning session

An interactive e-learning version of this topic is now available to use. OHID and Health Education England's 'e-Learning for Healthcare' have developed this content to increase the confidence and skills of health and care professionals, to embed prevention in their day-to-day practice.

Tooth decay is the most common oral disease affecting children and young people in England, yet it is largely preventable.

Although oral health is improving in England, the oral health survey of 5 year olds in 2019 showed that just under a quarter have tooth decay (see the National Dental Epidemiology Programme for England, 2019). Each child with tooth decay will have on average 3 to 4 teeth affected. For those children at risk, it can happen early in life. The oral health survey of 3 year olds in 2020 found that 11% had visible tooth decay, with on average 3 teeth affected.

While 77% of 5 year old children in England are now free of obvious tooth decay, significant regional inequalities remain - with children from the most deprived areas having more than twice the level of decay, than those from the least deprived.

Almost 9 out of 10 hospital tooth extractions among children aged 0 to 5 years are due to preventable tooth decay and tooth extraction is still the most common hospital procedure in 6 to 10 year olds, according to data up to 2019. See Issues arising following a referral and subsequent wait for extraction under general anaesthetic: impact on children.

Tooth decay can cause problems with eating, sleeping, communication and socialising, and results in at least 60,000 days being missed from school during the year for hospital extractions alone.

Tooth decay could be prevented by cutting down on sugar, as well as brushing teeth with fluoride toothpaste. The cost to the NHS of treating oral conditions is about £3.4 billion per year.

Regularly consuming food and drinks containing sugar increases the risk of tooth decay, and can lead to an increased risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Children are still consuming more than the recommended daily limit.

Core principles for health and care professionals

This 'All Our Health' child oral health information has been created to help all health and care professionals:

understand specific activities and interventions that can prevent tooth decay and gum disease, and improve oral health

know about the resources and services available that can help children, families and communities to improve their oral health

Taking action

The most effective way to improve child dental health is to embed it in all children's services, at strategic and operational levels.

Front-line health and care professionals

Familiarise yourself with the evidence-based advice and treatment that should be given.

This can be found in Delivering better oral health, which provides dental teams and other health and care professionals with the information they need. The quick guide to a healthy mouth in children provides a summarised factsheet with clear and consistent messages.

Making Every Contact Count ( MECC) focuses on staff working with the public giving appropriate and timely advice on health and wellbeing.

You should also work to:

Examples of community oral health improvement programmes include supervised tooth brushing, or fluoride varnish application programmes in targeted, early years settings such as children's centres, nurseries or schools.

Team leaders or managers

There are practical actions that managers (health and social care) can take to enable them to ensure all staff promote good oral health and access relevant training that is regularly updated including e-learning resources to support early years and health and care professionals.

Embed oral health in all children's services at a strategic and operational level.

Consider the training needs of the workforce, to enable them to deliver high-quality oral health advice and interventions. Several e-learning resources for the early years workforce are available on Health Education England's e-learning for Healthcare ( e-lfH), including:

The Centre for Pharmacy Post Graduate Education has a children's oral health programme.

Ensure your teams are aware of oral health services and interventions in your local area to improve child oral health and engage with commissioners to support them - for example supervised toothbrushing, fluoride varnish and Starting Well programmes.

Support local commissioners, identifying where programmes work well and if there are areas for improvement.

Promote the use of the child oral health impact pathway for front-line health and care professionals, to support them to provide oral health improvement as part of routine practice. The pathway also provides an easy way to record and measure their public health impact.

The Centre for Pharmacy Post Graduate Education (CPPE) has a children's oral health programme.

Senior strategic leaders

If you're a senior or strategic leader:

work to ensure that oral health is included and promoted within commissioned healthcare services

advocate for oral health, ensuring it is included in health and wellbeing board's joint strategic needs assessments

make sure that oral health is also included in other policies such as food policies

support policies to reduce sugar consumption and access to fluoride

The documents Local Authorities improving oral health: commissioning better oral health for children and young people and NICE Guideline PH55 Oral health: local authorities and partners support local authorities to commission, review and evaluate oral health improvement programmes for children and young people.

Return on investment of oral health improvement programmes for 0 to 5 year olds is a rapid review of the evidence of how cost-effective interventions are.

Improving oral health: a community water fluoridation toolkit for local authorities outlines water fluoridation's role in local authorities oral health improvement strategies.

This intervention does not require behaviour change by individuals and is safe and effective.

Water fluoridation resources are available to local authorities where community water fluoridation schemes are being considered.

Understanding local needs

Consultants in dental public health provide advice locally. They provide information and intelligence to inform and support health or care professionals, local authorities and other partners to help improve oral health and provision of services.

Oral health needs assessments and joint strategic needs assessments may be available locally.

The oral health collection contains a comprehensive list of information and resources for health practitioners, to improve oral health and reduce inequalities in England.

The following are included:

Oral health of 5 year old children in local authorities provides analysis and key findings on the dental health of 5 year old children, in each upper tier local authority area in England. They can be used to help plan and commission evidence-based services based on local need.

The guidance about oral health of 5 year old children in local authorities also includes information about:

local authority area variations in the oral health of 5 year olds

oral health improvement programmes commissioned by local authorities

The National Children's Dental Health Survey has been carried out every 10 years since 1973. It includes data on children aged 5, 8, 12 and 15 years, and reports on a dental examination and questionnaires for parents and 12 and 15 year olds. The last survey took place in 2013.

The Public Health Outcomes Framework ( PHOF) has one oral health indicator:

tooth decay in children aged 5 years (4.02)

The NHS Outcomes Framework (November 2018) has 2 oral health indicators:

decayed teeth (3.7.i)

tooth extractions due to decay in children admitted as inpatients to hospital, aged 10 years and under (3.7.ii)

Measuring impact

As a health and care professional, there are a range of reasons why it makes sense to measure your impact and demonstrate the value of your contribution.

This could be about sharing what has worked well in order to benefit your colleagues and local people or help you with your professional development.

The Everyday Interactions Measuring Impact Toolkit provides a quick, straightforward and easy way for health and care professionals (HCPs) to record and measure their public health impact in a uniform and comparable way. The toolkit includes a child oral health impact pathway.

Further reading, resources and good practice

Advice for patients and the public

The NHS provides a range of information and support on child and adult oral health.

Better Health have a range of information and resources to support families to make healthier choices.

Better Health provides a guide for dental teams providing key oral health messages to support Be Food Smart and also a Top Tips for Teeth Toolkit.

NHS Food Scanner app alerts parents to the hidden sugar, saturated fat and salt in everyday food and drink and highlights the harm this can do to their child's health, including oral health.

The Eatwell Guide shows the types of food which are needed to have a well-balanced diet.

Water fluoridation resources are available where community water fluoridation schemes are being considered.

Professional resources and tools

The OHID oral health collection includes information and resources.

The Royal Society of Public Health has produced a child oral health impact pathway.

Breastfeeding and dental health guidance provides current evidence and core messaging for dental teams and health and care professionals and features a new breastfeeding and dental health infographic.

Improving oral health for children and young people for health visitors, school nurses and practice nurses is an infographic for the Children and Young People's workforce.

The Better Health guide for dentists provides dental-specific key messaging and information on how dentists can support the Be Food Smart campaign and new app.

Water fluoridation resources are available to local authorities where community water fluoridation schemes are being considered.

Dental resources developed for Better Health are now live on the School Zone. The new KS1 and KS2 dental lesson plans are the first in a series of Better Health school resources to help pupils and their families learn about healthier eating habits.

Best practice examples

Oral health case studies can be found in the following documents.

Tackling poor oral health in children explains local government's role in reducing poor oral health in children.

Local authority area variation in the oral health of 5 year olds includes links to case studies published by the Local Government Association, that demonstrate evidence-based action by local authorities.

Healthy futures: supporting and promoting the health needs of looked after children contains 7 case studies of positive initiatives, one of which is an oral health study.

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Child oral health: applying All Our Health

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The Public Health England team leading this policy transitioned into the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) on 1 October 2021. This guide is part of 'All Our Health', a resource which helps health and care professionals prevent ill health and promote wellbeing as part of their everyday practice.

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A lovely resource to encourage younger children to brush their teeth.

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The Tooth Brushing Song 🪥🎵 | Toddler Learning | Songs for Kids | Hey Duggee

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Link to the homepage - full of resources and ideas to support families to live a healthier lifestyle.

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Make a change today! Discover healthy recipes, food swaps, nutritional advice, and top tips and activities to help the whole family stay healthy.

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Link to information on recommended daily allowances of sugar for and ideas on how to reduce it.

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Reducing sugar - Food facts - Healthier Families

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Help your family cut back on their sugar intake with our simple tips and guide to sugar found in your everyday food and drink.

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Contains information on food groups, portion sizes and ideas for healthy lunchboxes and snacks.

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A worksheet to help children and young people be able to read labels on food and work out how much sugar they contain

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A resource to help restrictive eaters try new foods, flavours and textures. Children can choose to touch, smell, lick or taste the food.

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Session 3 Trying new foods challenge PDF

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Brush DJ website - downloadable App that children can customise to support with a 2 minute timed toothbrush

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The free, award-winning Brush DJ app makes brushing your teeth fun! Watch the video to see all its features : )

Vote below for your favourite song to brush your teeth to and see if it makes in into the weekly Brush DJ top 5!

watch our video

General

What is Brush DJ?

Brush DJ is an award-winning, free toothbrush timer app that plays 2 minutes of music taken from the user's device to encourage brushing for an effective length of time. The app also allows users to set reminders to brush twice a day, floss, use a mouthrinse and when next to see their dentist, hygienist, therapist or orthodontist. Evidence-based age specific information is given as per the NHS toolkit 'Delivering Better Oral Health'.

Where does the information come from that is given in Brush DJ?

The app was built around the information given in the NHS Delivering Better Oral Health Toolkit.

Why 2 minutes?

This comes from the following research ' The effect of brushing time and dentifrices on dental plaque removal in vivo '.

Looking after your baby's teeth

This webpage by the NHS has a useful information and a video about looking after your baby's teeth

Who developed Brush DJ?

Brush DJ was developed by dentist Ben Underwood (UK General Dental Council Number 76663). The app was built by Netsells and the website by Impulse Media. The video was produced by Dr Nik Morris.

Dental Professionals

All dental professionals have an ethical responsibility to prevent dental disease rather than just manage its consequences.

The Brush DJ app is not a panacea, but is a useful motivational tool for dental professionals to recommend to their patients.

Brush DJ was built around the information given in the NHS Delivering Better Oral Health Toolkit

Research findings

A preliminary investigation to assess user perception of the Brush DJ app has been published in the British Dental Journal 'The use of a mobile app to motivate evidence-based oral hygiene behaviour' British Dental Journal 219, E2 (2015)
Published online: 28 August 2015 | doi:10.1038/sj.bdj.2015.660.

The study concluded 'A mobile app is a promising tool to motivate an evidence-based oral hygiene routine.' www.nature.com

A survey by the British Dental Health Foundation reported:

Nearly 59% of women and 35% of men regularly skip brushing their teeth before bed.

The most recent Adult Dental Health Survey reported:

Only 26% of respondents used an electric toothbrush.

Only 21% use dental floss, with the use of dental floss falling between 1998 and 2009 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

A study investigating ' the effect of brushing time and dentifrices on dental plaque removal in vivo' reported:

Routine toothbrushing is perhaps the single most important step an individual can take to reduce plaque accumulation and the consequent risk of plaque-associated diseases, such as periodontitis and caries.

Brushing time is the most easily controlled parameter of effective everyday brushing.

The average time spent brushing is considerably shorter than 2 minutes, and a value of about 45 seconds would seem a useful estimate.

Can I add a link to Brush DJ on my website?

We are more than happy for links to the Brush DJ website to be made 🙂

Please email your patients a link to the Brush DJ website or the YouTube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plUxuzEvINg.

Sponsors

If you would be interested in sponsoring Brush DJ please contact us!

Press

It would be great if you would be kind enough to write something about Brush DJ. Please contact us to request an interview 🙂

The app is available for Apple and Android devices. Ben welcomes feedback on how Brush DJ can be improved and can be contacted via the website www.BrushDJ.com.

Images
Brush DJ icon
Video

The Brush DJ video can be found on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plUxuzEvINg feel free to embed or place a link.

Terms & Conditions

Thank you for accessing this website www.brushdj.com. Please read these conditions of use before using this site.

The information on this site is intended to supplement, not be a substitute for, the expertise and judgement of your dentist, hygienist, doctor or other healthcare professional.

By using this site, you signify your acceptance of these conditions in return for which we will provide you with access. From time to time we may modify the conditions so please continue to review the conditions of use whenever accessing or using this site. If at any time you do not wish to accept these conditions then you may not use this site.

Whilst we take steps to ensure the accuracy of the information accessed via this site, we cannot guarantee or give any warranty as to its accuracy, timeliness or completeness of any information or material appearing on it.

Whilst we take pride in keeping this site updated with the most relevant and up-to-date information please note that, due to the way that websites are stored, copied and downloaded, the information on this website may be incomplete, out of date or incorrect.

Unless otherwise specified, the materials on this website are directed solely at those who access this website from the United Kingdom. Those who choose to access this site from other locations are responsible for compliance with local laws if and to the extent local laws are applicable.

Any claim must be brought against Brush DJ Ltd within a UK court or a claim must be brought in a court outside of USA or CANADA.

We have taken every care in the preparation of the content of this website, however we can not guarantee uninterrupted and totally reliable access to this website, and so therefore cannot guarantee that the information will always be completely up to date and free of mistakes.

Certain (hypertext) links in this site may lead to other websites, which are not under our control. When you activate any of these you will leave the www.brushdj.com website and we have no control over and will accept no responsibility or liability for the material on any website which is not under our control.

These terms and conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with English Law. If any provision of these terms and conditions shall be unlawful, void or for any reason unenforceable then that provision shall be deemed severable and shall not affect the validity and enforceability of the remaining provisions.
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We reserve the right to alter these terms and conditions from time to time by posting new terms and conditions on this website.

Copyright

This site and all materials, text, code, content, software, videos, music, sound, graphics, photographs, illustrations, artwork, photographs, formats, files, graphics, devices and links contained in it or linked to it (together "Content") are protected by copyright, trademarks and other rights of intellectual property owned by us or licensed to us.

Anyone accessing this site is entitled to view any part of it. However, the Content must not be used nor reproduced (in whole or part) for any other purpose including on or in connection with another website or publication or for direct commercial gain.

Any links to this site must be notified to and approved by us before they are created or steps are taken to create the same.

Privacy Policy

Brush DJ ("We") are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy.

This policy, together with our terms and conditions of use, sets out the basis on which any personal data we collect from you, or that you provide to us, will be processed by us. Please read the following carefully to understand our views and practices regarding your personal data and how we will treat it.

For the purpose of the Data Protection Act 1998 (the Act) and the 2018 General Data Protection Regulation, the data controller is Ben Underwood.
Information we collect about you
We may collect and process the following data about you:

Information that you provide when filling in our contact form on the app or website www.brushdj.com

If you contact us, we will respond if required and then delete your contact details.
Where we store personal data
If you contact us your email will be stored securely until it has been read and responded to, if this is require. After this it will be deleted.. Unfortunately, the transmission of information via the internet is not completely secure. Although we will do our best to protect your personal data, we cannot guarantee the security of your data transmitted to our site; any transmission is at your own risk.
Uses made of the information
We use information held about you in the following ways:

To ensure that content from our site is presented in the most effective manner for your computer.
Disclosure of your information
We may disclose your personal information to third parties:

If we are under a duty to disclose or share your personal data in order to comply with any legal obligation.
Your rights
You have the right to ask us not to process your personal data .

Our website site and app may, from time to time, contain links to and from other websites. If you follow a link to any of these websites, please note that these websites have their own privacy policies and that we do not accept any responsibility or liability for these policies. Please check these policies before you submit any personal data to these websites.
Changes to our privacy policy
Any changes we may make to our privacy policy in the future will be posted on this page.
Contact
Questions, comments and requests regarding this privacy policy are welcomed and should be sent via the contact form on www.brushdj.com.

How to Videos

Please watch these short videos showing how to carry out basic oral hygiene tasks whilst rediscovering your music collection :)

How to brush with manual toothbrush

How to use an interdental brush

Mentions Awards

Orthodontic patients' oral hygiene compliance by utilizing a smartphone application (Brush DJ): a randomized clinical trial

"Our study indicated that PI and GI decreased in the intervention group who used the Brush DJ app in comparison with the control group. In addition, the app usage frequency was positively correlated with the brushing duration and frequency.

We believe that smartphone apps, as motivators and reminders, can improve orthodontic patients' oral hygiene compliance, especially in adolescents."
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41405-020-00050-5

The Journal of Pediatric Research

Effects of a Mobile Application to Improve Oral Hygiene in Children

'This study aimed to investigate a mobile application's effectiveness in improving oral health in children. For this reason, Brush DJ, a mobile application which can be downloaded freely on smartphones, was introduced to 200 children aged between 5-12 years old who were referred for routine dental examination'

'In the present study, the rate of children who stated that they were motivated to brush their teeth at the end of the third month was 86%. Based on the parental satisfaction survey data, it was observed that the use of the mobile app was effective in improving tooth brushing habits, and brushing became more regular and enjoyable in all children. According to the responses to the parental satisfaction survey, it was observed that the parents were satisfied with their children using the Brush DJ mobile application.'
https://jpedres.org/articles/doi/jpr.galenos.2024.82956

Mobile Apps for Dental Caries Prevention: Systematic Search and Quality Evaluation

'The Brush DJ app was the highest rated app with an overall MARS score of 4.4. This app also scored above the threshold for all subscales.'
https://mhealth.jmir.org/2021/1/e19958

The Feasibility and Acceptability of a Mobile Application for Oral Health Education Among Adults in Rwanda

Our study found that the acceptability and feasibility of mobile App for oral health education (BrushDJ) was high among the study participants. The mobile App for oral health received positive reviews from the user-friendliness nature. Our study findings have highlighted that the mobile App for oral health (BrushDJ) is a useful tool that might contribute to behaviour change and the adoption of adequate oral health measures. Population groups of all ages and backgrounds, even those in remote areas where the accessibility to dental services is challenging, can use the mobile App for oral health education.
https://www.dovepress.com

The whole tooth: How to keep their pearly whites pearly and white

"The older children like Brush DJ, a free app that will play you two minutes of music from your iTunes library, and buzz every 30 seconds to remind you to switch sides. Ecstatic applause awaits you when your brushing time is up."
www.telegraph.co.uk

The use of a mobile app to motivate evidence-based oral hygiene behaviour. British Dental Journal August 2015

"Conclusion: A mobile app is a promising tool to motivate an evidence-based oral hygiene routine"
www.nature.com

If Your teeth Get Fuzzy After Lunch
"Use "detergent" or add "water" if you don't brush after every meal, says Linda Niessen, DMD, clinical professor at Baylor College of Dentistry-Texas A&M University. "Detergents" are fibrous foods such as celery, apples and carrots, which scrub away debris as you chew, she says. "Water" is saliva, which neutralizes acids and washes away food particles-and you make more of it when chewing sugar-free gum. But don't postpone brushing and flossing for too long. "Plaque must be thoroughly removed every 24 hours," says Niessen. (To put in the requisite two minutes, she recommends the timer app Brush DJ.)"
www.oprah.com

Brush DJ Ltd wins Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) Healthcare competition
February 2019

Dentist Ben Underwood, creator of the Brush DJ app has been announced as a winner of a national Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) Healthcare competition to improve children's oral health. The competition was launched by NHS England in partnership with the Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs) and aims to identify and support innovative new products and services which have the potential to improve patient outcomes. It is the first competition of this type to focus on oral health.

Despite tooth decay being preventable, the NHS spends £50.5 million extracting decayed teeth from children under general anaesthesia every year ¹, with a total annual dentistry spend of £3.4 billion. This figure does not include the loss of productivity for parents/carers attending appointments during working hours. The direct and indirect global economic impact of oral conditions in children and adults has been estimated to be over US$442 billion ².

The SBRI award, which in phase 1 includes funding of up to £100k, will be used to explore the scientific, technical feasibility and commercial viability of adding enhanced features to the existing Brush DJ app. All potential features will be co-designed with children at highest risk of tooth decay and their carers and developed in collaboration with key stakeholders. The team will then apply for phase 2 of the competition, and if successful will secure funding of up to £1 million.

Ben Underwood, CEO of Brush DJ Ltd said, "It is amazing to have not only this financial support and recognition, but, critically, access to the expertise of SBRI and its partners. Having been part of the NHS Innovation Accelerator programme, I understand that in order to scale an innovation and gain widespread adoption, we will need champions from within all areas of healthcare. This award will allow us to take Brush DJ to the next level by recruiting a team of experts so that we can reach and help more children at risk of tooth decay."

Karen Livingstone, National Director at SBRI Healthcare commented "The most common oral disease affecting young children in England is tooth decay, which has become a serious cause for concern for the NHS. We are excited to be supporting Brush DJ, an innovative toothbrush timer and dental care app, which helps to make brushing teeth a fun activity for children to build their offer and support improved oral hygiene. We look forward to helping to develop the technology further and to bring real benefits to young people's oral health."
References:
1. Health matters: Child Dental Health, 14 June 2017. https://publichealthmatters.blog.gov.uk/2017/06/14/health-matters-child-dental-health/ (Accessed 12/08/18).

2. Global, Regional, and National Prevalence, Incidence, and Disability-Adjusted Life Years for Oral Conditions for 195 Countries, 1990-2015: A Systematic Analysis for the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors N Kassebaum et al. Journal of Dental Research, 96 (4) 01 February 2017.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0022034517693566

3. Delivering better oral health: an evidence-based toolkit for prevention. Public Health England, March 2017. Gateway reference: 2016224.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/605266/Delivering_better_oral_health.pdf (Accessed 12/08/18).
Notes to Editors:

1. SBRI competitions are on behalf of NHS England by the Eastern Academic Health Science Network through its delivery agent Health Enterprise East. Further information can be found at: sbrihealthcare.co.uk

2. Background on Ben and Brush DJ:

Ben is an NHS Innovation Accelerator (NIA) alumni. He invested his own money to develop the app for benefit of his patients, but realised that it could be scaled to reach thousands, if not millions of people. As an NIA fellow he received financial support to develop the latest version of the app. The funding for the NIA programme came from The Health Foundation, NHS England and the Academic Health Science Network. Follow this link to view a quick tour of Brush DJ: https://youtu.be/qoILstdnLHs

1. Brush DJ is the only dental app in the NHS Digital Apps Library. It has been downloaded over a ⅓ of a million times in 197 countries. The main feature of the app is a timer which plays two minutes of music from the user's device or streaming service, making the mundane task of brushing for an effective length of time more enjoyable, and therefore more likely to happen. The app also contains the evidence-based oral health information published by PHE³.

2. As part of this process, Ben will recruit a team of expert advisors which will include:

Claire Stevens CBE
Claire is an NHS Consultant in Paediatric Dentistry and has served on the Executive Committee of the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry (BSPD) for the last 8 years, most recently as President in 2017/18. She also established, and now Chairs, the Managed Clinical Network for Paediatric Dentistry in Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership and was on the steering group which produced NHS England's Commissioning Standard for Paediatric Dentistry. Claire was appointed CBE in the 2019 New Year's Honours List for services to children and will be one of the Brush DJ Ltd core team.

Alicia Ridout
Deputy Director, mHabitat

Alicia brings significant expertise across a range of fields including clinical safety, programme design and delivery, complex care needs/carers and service improvement methodologies; user engagement is her passion and she has a proven track record of success, most recently awarded the CAHPO Digital Innovator Award in 2017.
Liz Ashall-Payne
Liz founded ORCHA, the Organisation for the Review of Care and Health Application in 2015, determined to present a way to offer much needed guidance to app developers to help raise app quality, as well as helping the public and professionals to confidently find and apply apps that could genuinely improve public, patient and organisational outcomes. Liz is an NHS Innovation Accelerator Fellow.
Dr Simon Bourne
CEO My mHealth

Simon has been CEO of my mhealth since 2012, and now works full time in this role. He is also one of the inaugural NHS Innovation Accelerator Fellows. my mhealth are now the leading UK supplier of long-term condition digital products to over 100 CCGs, for patients with COPD, Asthma, Diabetes and Heart Disease. This year my mhealth launch their first telehealth product that interfaces with their self-management solutions. My mhealth launch into 2 international markets this year (New Zealand and the US).
For interview requests, please contact info@brushdj.com

NHS Innovation Accelerator Fellowship

The NHS Innovation Accelerator (NIA) is a fellowship programme which is being delivered collaboratively by NHS England, UCLPartners, The Health Foundation and with the Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs).

The aim of the NIA is to deliver on the commitment detailed within the Five Year Forward View - creating the conditions and cultural change necessary for proven innovations to be adopted faster and more systematically through the NHS, and to deliver examples into practice for demonstrable patient and population benefit.
www.england.nhs.uk

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The free, award-winning Brush DJ app makes brushing your teeth fun! Watch the video to see all its features : ) Vote below for your favourite song to brush your teeth to and see if it makes in into the weekly Brush DJ top 5!

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QR code for HDFT 0-19 Growing Healthy Service

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QR code for HDFT 0-19 Growing Healthy Service

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For families in Westmorland and Furness area. A wealth of health information to support you and your family.

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Westmorland and Furness Family Help Strategy

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Westmorland and Furness Family Help Strategy

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Westmorland and Furness Family Help Website

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Westmorland and Furness Family Help Website

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Full of support and resources to help you on your journey as a Parent or Carer.

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Professional Referral form - Family Hubs

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Professional Referral form - Family Hubs

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This referral form can be completed by Professionals supporting families in South Lakes, Furness and Eden areas. All information (including contact Emails) are provided on the top of the form.

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Professionals Request for Service Family Hubs 

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Parent/Carer Referral form - Family Hubs

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Parent/Carer Referral form - Family Hubs

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referral form for parents/carers to request support from the Family Hubs. Open to families in Furness, South Lakes or Eden areas

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Start for Life Resources 'Top Tips for Teeth'

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Start for Life Resources 'Top Tips for Teeth'

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Link to downloadable resources that can be displayed or given to parents/carers

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Better Health Start for Life Top Tips For Teeth

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NHS guidance on caring for your child's teeth

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From brushing their first tooth to their first trip to the dentist, here's how to take care of your children's teeth.
A regular teeth-cleaning routine is essential for good dental health. Follow these tips and you can help keep your kids' teeth decay-free.

Toothbrushing tips

It's important to use a fluoride toothpaste, as this helps prevent and control tooth decay.
Children aged up to 3 years

Start brushing your baby's teeth as soon as the first milk tooth breaks through (usually at around 6 months, but it can be earlier or later).

Parents or carers should brush the teeth.

Brush teeth twice daily for about 2 minutes with fluoride toothpaste.

Brush last thing at night before bed and on 1 other occasion.

Use children's fluoride toothpaste containing no less than 1,000ppm of fluoride (check label) unless a dentist advises family toothpaste containing between 1,350ppm and 1,500ppm fluoride.

Use only a smear of toothpaste.

Make sure children don't eat or lick toothpaste from the tube.

Children aged 3 to 6 years

Brush at least twice daily for about 2 minutes with fluoride toothpaste.

Brush last thing at night before bed and at least on 1 other occasion.

Parents or carers should brush the teeth.

Use children's fluoride toothpaste containing no less than 1,000ppm of fluoride (check label) unless a dentist advises family toothpaste containing between 1,350ppm and 1,500ppm fluoride.

Use only a pea-sized amount of toothpaste.

Spit out after brushing and don't rinse - if you rinse, the fluoride won't work as well.

Children aged 7 and over

Brush at least twice daily for about 2 minutes with fluoride toothpaste.

Brush last thing at night before bed and at least on 1 other occasion.

Use fluoride toothpaste containing between 1,350ppm and 1,500ppm of fluoride (check label).

Spit out after brushing and don't rinse - if you rinse, the fluoride won't work as well.

Children aged 7 and over should be able to brush their own teeth, but it's still a good idea to watch them to make sure they brush properly and for about 2 minutes.

How to help children brush their teeth properly

Guide your child's hand so they can feel the correct movement.

Use a mirror to help your child see exactly where the brush is cleaning their teeth.

Make tooth brushing as fun as possible by using an egg timer to time it for about 2 minutes.

Don't let children run around with a toothbrush in their mouth, as they may have an accident and hurt themselves.

Taking your child to the dentist

NHS dental care for children is free.

Take your child to the dentist when their first milk teeth appear. This is so they become familiar with the environment and get to know the dentist. The dentist can advise you on how to prevent decay and identify any oral health problems at an early stage. Just opening up the child's mouth for the dentist to take a look at is useful practice for the future.

When you visit the dentist, be positive about it and make the trip fun. This will stop your child worrying about future visits.

Take your child for regular dental check-ups as advised by the dentist.

Find a dentist near you

Fluoride varnish and fissure sealants

Fissure sealants can be done once your child's permanent back teeth have started to come through (usually at the age of about 6 or 7) to protect them against decay. This is where the chewing surfaces of the back teeth are covered with a special thin plastic coating to keep germs and food particles out of the grooves. The sealant can last for as long as 5 to 10 years.

Fluoride varnish can be applied to both baby teeth and adult teeth. It involves painting a varnish that contains high levels of fluoride onto the surface of the tooth every 6 months to prevent decay. Some children may need this more often. It works by strengthening tooth enamel, making it more resistant to decay.

From the age of 3, children should be offered fluoride varnish application at least twice a year. Younger children may also be offered this treatment if your dentist thinks they need it.

Ask your dentist about fluoride varnish or fissure sealing.

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Find out how to look after children's teeth, including advice on brushing, toothpaste, establishing a routine and taking a child to the dentist for the first time.

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Current charges for NHS dental treatment (April 2026)

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NHS England dental charges poster - April 2026

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Dental Trauma Support for residents of South Cumbria

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What to do if your child knocks out a tooth

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What to do if your child knocks out a tooth

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NHS guidance on what to do if your child knocks out a tooth

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Find out more about how to save a knocked-out tooth before seeing a dentist.