• 20 years since introduction of Supervised Tooth Brushing Programme in Bolton
• More than 6,000 children now regularly take part in regular tooth brushing
• Figures revealed as Bolton NHS Foundation Trust marks National Smile Month

Bolton NHS Foundation Trust is celebrating 20 years of keeping children’s teeth and mouths healthy in Bolton, as the organisation marks National Smile Month (12 May – 12 June).

It’s two decades since the Supervised Tooth Brushing Programme was introduced in 2005, targeting support to children in the most disadvantaged communities.

In 2025, there are now 112 settings taking part in the initiative, with nearly 6,000 children taking part in regular tooth brushing.

The latest oral health survey of five-year-old children in Bolton found that 34.5 % had tooth decay, an improvement on the previous survey in 2022 of 42.8%.

Lorna Dibnah, Healthy Families Specialist at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, said:

We still have a lot of work to do in Bolton to address inequalities in children’s oral health, and to get closer to England’s latest average figure of 22.4% .

“We’re pleased to see that our targeted education and prevention work is making a difference.

“National Smile Month provides us with an opportunity to highlight how diet plays a crucial role in maintaining a healthy smile, and we’ll continue to support families across to Bolton to make smart choices that promote good oral health every day.

The focus for this year’s National Smile Month is the connection between diet and oral health, with the theme ‘Feed Your Smile’.

While diet plays a key role in oral health, having a consistent and effective oral health routine is equally important. Top tips for good daily oral health routine include:

• Twice daily brushing for two minutes with a fluoride toothpaste. Spit, don’t rinse the toothpaste.

• Cleaning between your teeth with interdental brushes or floss.
• Reducing sugar intake and frequency to maintain good oral health and prevent tooth decay.

• Visiting a dentist regularly.

How to find advice

To help promote advice, the Trust’s Oral Health Healthy Families Team will be visiting Bolton’s Central Library on Wednesday 11 June from 11.30am to 12.15pm, joining in with the Toddler Tales sessions. The team will be available to talk about keeping children’s mouths and teeth healthy.

The Team will also be encouraging all the nurseries and schools who participate in Bolton’s Supervised Tooth Brushing Programme to join in with the Oral Health Foundations Great British Brushathon on Monday 2 June.

People can take part online by sharing why oral health matters to them and using the hashtags #SmileMonth and #GreatBritishBrushathon.