Over 250 children at Roche Community Primary School and the neighbouring Roche Pebbles Childcare Centre will be improving their oral health thanks to Brady Construction Services’ support for Brighter Smiles, Cornwall’s oral health campaign.
This support sees the company join a growing number of organisations committed to reversing the continuing trend of avoidable tooth extractions from children in Cornwall – a serious public health issue which sees around 20 children aged 5-9 admitted to hospital each week to have their teeth removed under general anaesthetic. It is the number one reason for hospital admissions amongst the age group but 100% preventable.
This generous funding from Brady Construction Services will enable the Brighter Smiles team to set up toothbrushing clubs in the nursery and reception classes, apply fluoride varnishing to the teeth of reception and year 1 pupils and deliver oral health education to the whole school with education packs for all to embed what they learn at school with the rest of the family in the home environment.
Director James Brady said: “As a family building firm providing employment to many local people we are massively proud of our contribution to Cornwall. We recently completed a major project for Smile Together, transforming the former grammar school on Harleigh Road into a brand-new, purpose designed and fully accessible dental centre and were so inspired by their work in the community. I was a pupil at Roche so am absolutely delighted to be able to support Brighter Smiles in their school community and make a real difference to the oral health outcomes for their pupils – I’d have loved to have met a dragon during my time there!”
Jeremy Walden, Head Teacher at Roche Community Primary School, part of the Truro and Penwith Academy Trust, said: “So many of our families struggle to regularly visit a dentist so we are very grateful to Brady Construction Services for their generous support in bringing the Brighter Smiles programme into our school community. I have no doubt our pupils and teachers will look forward to seeing the team and their dragon during their regular visits and have great fun engaging with their educational oral health activities. At Roche we believe that every child matters and has a right to a safe, happy, varied and challenging learning experience so Brighter Smiles fits perfectly with our school ethos – and there was no better time to launch Brighter Smiles than during our Demon Dentist Week!”
Paul Critchley, Managing Director at Smile Together, creators of the Brighter Smiles campaign, explained: “Last year, with the generous support of Cornwall Council’s public health team and other partner organisations, we engaged with almost 3,000 children across the county. There is still much to do to reverse tooth decay so we are really pleased to continue working in partnership with Brady Construction Services, this time in enabling Brighter Smiles to improve the oral health of even more children in Cornwall.”
In addition to Cornwall Council and now Brady, Brighter Smiles is backed by organisations such as Fuel, Imerys, ITEC and St Dennis and Nanpean Community Trust. In the past 12 months over 60 schools, nurseries and family hubs have taken part in the initiative with positive feedback from pupils, parents and carers and the schools themselves. There are 280 schools in Cornwall.
