Point 3.58 of the early years statutory framework (EYFS) 2025 states that "Providers must promote the good health, including the oral health, of the children they look after." This is a requirement under the safeguarding and welfare requirements, and settings must ensure that they promote good oral health in one form or another. The information on this webpage will help you meet the requirements related to oral health.
Tooth decay is largely preventable, yet it is the most common oral disease experienced by children, with almost a quarter of five-year-olds experiencing decay. The 2022 Office of Health Improvement and Disparities identifies the following statistics related to tooth decay:
- "The oral health survey of three-year-olds in 2020 found that 11% had visible tooth decay, with on average three teeth affected."
- "Almost nine out of 10 hospital tooth extractions among children aged birth to five years are due to preventable tooth decay."
- "Tooth extraction is still the most common hospital procedure in six- to 10-year-olds, according to data up to 2019."
- "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."
Practice in setting
The Department for Education’s (DfE) Help for early years providers: Oral health website has information about tooth decay, looking after oral health, practice ideas in setting and information about promoting oral health at home. Some of this information will be useful to share with families. There is a range of resources and further links you can also explore to support your practice and knowledge.
The My Smile and Oral Health Improvement Early Years - Dental HealthCare Team provides a range of ideas, information and activities you can use in setting to support you to meet your statutory requirements. Video links are provided, which can be played during tooth brushing routines, and Dr Ranj shares his top tips on how to care for teeth.
The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Oral Health - Healthy Schools website has lots of information about dental health, teacher documents and external links to other local and national sources of information.
The Oral Health Foundation Dental Buddy has a range of activities and lesson suggestions you can register for and access for free.
The Big Brush Club provide a list of recommended children's books for three-to-five-year-olds, all about brushing teeth.
Information for families
The following local and national NHS websites can be used to support your discussions and activities aimed at all family members:
- Children's teeth - NHS.
- Dental health.
- Looking after your baby's teeth - NHS.
- How to find an NHS dentist - NHS.
The following BBC CBeebies parenting webpage also has some helpful information you can share with families: Q and A with The Singing Dentist - Brushing kids' teeth and taking children to the dentist - BBC Tiny Happy People.
Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
Cambridgeshire County Council service hub provides information about Universal Health Services, including information about dentists and ‘a parents' guide to oral health and dental care for children with learning disability, autism, or both.’ – This document can be found under the heading 'Dentists.'
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Children’s Health also provides resources and local support for families under their dental health tab.
The Resistance poster* from NHS England called ‘Strategies to help children cope with the sensory challenges of toothbrushing’ can be useful to share with parents to help make brushing a fun experience.
*Size: 4MB File format: pdf.
The British Society of Paediatric Dentistry (BSPD) provide a guidance leaflet, suitable for parents of autistic children: BSPD Guidance for Parents and Carers of Autistic CYP June 2025. Size: 503KB File format: pdf.
Supervised toothbrushing programme
The ‘My Smile’ scheme is offered to some eligible settings across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Your setting will be contacted if eligible. However, if you are interested in taking part in the scheme, please contact the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Oral Health Improvement Team for more information about eligibility and costs for settings not currently eligible.
More information about the scheme can be found at My Smile Cambs and P'boro - Dental HealthCare.
Training
The Early Years, Childcare, and School Readiness Service provide a range of training courses, including the following, which will support and develop practice related to physical development:
- Working with the EYFS nutrition guidance.
- Keeping me healthy – Supporting early years children’s health and physical development.
More information can be found in our Professional Development Programme, Curriculum, pedagogy, and practice.
The DfE has provided a range of free early years child development training modules, including a module on physical development.
