Promoting good oral hygiene is crucial to children's future health

When the Coalition Government published its programme for government (HM Government, 2010), it stated that '... achieving good dental health and increasing access to NHS dentistry, with an additional focus on the oral health of schoolchildren' was a priority. It is acknowledged that while oral health in children is improving, differences exist within groups of the population that relate to social background (Department of Health, 2005). These differences include, for example: poor living conditions and lack of support for regular and effective oral health behaviour in the home.