On 3 February the President of the British Society of Dental Hygiene and Therapy (BSDHT), Michaela ONeill, visited children at St Joseph's Primary School in County Antrim to teach them how to look after their oral health.

The pupils took part in brushing demonstrations and fun activities and were all given guidance and tuition on how to brush their teeth correctly. They were also given toothbrushes, toothpaste and a reward chart to take home with them which were donated by Procter & Gamble (Oral B).

Michaela ONeill said: 'Having the chance to teach young children about the importance of their oral health and show them about basic oral hygiene is an excellent opportunity to give them the skills they need to take care of their teeth throughout the rest of their life.

‘According to findings from the last survey of Children's Dental Health, children in Northern Ireland have been shown to have some of the poorest levels of oral health compared to other regions of the United Kingdom. It is stating the obvious but something needs to be done about these figures, and the British Society of Dental Hygiene and Therapy will be doing all they can to tackle this ultimately preventable problem.’

The BSDHT hopes to raise awareness of how to prevent tooth decay and members will be volunteering their time to help teach correct methods of oral hygiene to children as part of the Early Years curriculum.