Summer has now come and gone for this year, but we certainly made the most of it, no matter the weather!
We were thrilled to support Home-Start Kernow’s summer picnics for the second year; they ran across the duchy, from Penzance to Saltash. The picnics were free to attend and open to families with little ones under five, as well as their older siblings. They were a great opportunity for local families to access support and advice whilst having fun, playing games and making new friends.
Home-Start Kernow are a local charity that aims to provide positive outcomes for families within Cornwall. They offer confidential support and practical help, as well as friendship to families with children under five who are struggling within our local community.
Our Smarter Smiles team attended picnics in Penzance, Helston, Perranporth, Saltash, St Austell, Redruth, and Truro, with their trusty mascot Dylan the dragon in toe! They gave out family oral health packs which included toothbrushes for all the family, toothpaste, a two-minute timer, brushing chart as well as a wealth of information on how to look after your oral health and access urgent and emergency dental care in the county. They encouraged the children to help brush Dylan’s teeth, explaining good brushing techniques and offering advice and guidance on healthy diets and oral health regimes. Fun interaction which really helps build a positive attitude to brushing from an early age.
Tooth decay is the most common reason for hospital admission in children aged between 6 and 10 years so our focus is on reducing tooth decay among the most vulnerable in our community by intervention and education.
New for this year, we were able to attend some of the Healthier Together summer wellbeing festivals throughout Cornwall. Healthier Together is a new partnership health and wellbeing campaign from Healthy Cornwall and NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly alongside community hubs, town councils and partners that launched at the beginning of summer.
The aim of the festivals was to offer locals the chance to find out more about the 5 themes of the Healthier Together campaign:
- Get checked: offering health checks and advice from the NHS
- Eat well: information about eating a balanced diet
- Move more: taster sessions and advice from Healthy Cornwall and friends
- Try new things: learn new skills and find out about volunteering with Volunteer Cornwall
- Be kind: look after your mental health with NHS Talking Therapies and local support groups
The Smarter Smiles team attended festivals in Penzance, Wadebridge, Newquay, St Austell and Hayle. They handed out oral health packs to everyone who attended and provided oral cancer screenings as well as offering advice on how to stay on top of your oral health and the best changes we can make to benefit our teeth in the future. Nat, our Outreach Dental Therapist appeared on Chaos Radio at the St Austell wellbeing festival where she performed an oral cancer check live for listeners and she also outlined how you can perform a self-check for mouth cancer at home.
It is always so rewarding making a difference through partnership and coming together to help those most in need in our community.
For more information about keeping on top of your oral health take a look here.
