A Birmingham dental practice is tackling dental education one toothbrush at a time, focusing on the next generation of children in the city. Dr Hamna Khan, a dentist at Lozells Road Dental Practice, visits primary schools and nurseries across Birmingham to teach children how to maintain good dental health.
Dr Khan told BirminghamLive: "I have educated the children and the teachers there. We give them oral health kits, incentives, and leaflets to take home so they can tell their parents about the importance of six-monthly dental check-ups."
Educational Tools and Activities
Dr Khan uses stuffed toys with teeth to demonstrate proper brushing techniques. "We ask every child to give it a go and involve them in activities to show how brushing is done, because many of them do not even know how to hold a toothbrush properly in their mouth," she explained.
Impact of Child Poverty
Dr Khan highlighted the effects of child poverty on dental health. "When you see one child, the effects are visible on the whole family. We have seen many cases where all siblings have dental issues, not just one," she said.
She emphasized that education is key to addressing dental problems. "We need to make children aware of what to expect and how important regular dentist visits are," she added.
Dr Khan's initiative aims to reduce the city's dental crisis by reaching children early and providing them with the knowledge and tools to care for their teeth.
