Oral Health Newsletter

Early Years April 2016

Did you know tooth decay is the most common single reason for children under 5 to have a general anesthetic in

hospital. In 2014—15 over £35 million was spent by hospitals extracting multiple teeth in children under 18 years

of age. In order to address this the Buckinghamshire Smile Award Plus programme has been featured as an

example of good practice in a recent Local Government Association press release. Well done to the 100 settings

who have Smile Award Plus accreditation, over 9,700 children and families are benefiting from your good work.

http://www.local.gov.uk/web/guest/media-releases/-/journal_content/56/10180/7784916/NEWS

The original Eatwell Plate has been updated to reflect current healthy eating recommendations. The revised

Eatwell Guide fully supports the oral health key messages. Foods and drinks high in sugar are no longer included as

they are not needed in the diet. Dried fruit is limited to 30 grams per day and fruit juice and smoothies is limited to

150ml a day, all of which should be consumed at mealtimes.

For further information or advice about oral health please call 01494 711222, and ask for

Oral Health Improvement

April 2016

How can the Eatwell Guide help?

The Eatwell Guide applies to most people regardless of weight, dietary restrictions/preferences or ethnic origin. However, it doesn’t apply to children under 2 because they have different nutritional needs. Between the ages of 2 and 5, children should gradually move to eating the same foods as the rest of the family, in the proportions shown on the Eatwell Guide.

The Eatwell Guide shows the different types of foods and drinks we should consume – and in what proportions – to have a healthy, balanced diet.

The Eatwell Guide shows the proportions of the main food groups that form a healthy, balanced diet, the key messages are:

For further information please visit www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-eatwell-guide where you can download the poster and booklet with further information. The NHS website also provide a brief and comprehensive update; www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/the-eatwell-guide.aspx

For information on portion sizes for toddlers please visit Eat Better Start Better www.childrensfoodtrust.org.uk/childrens-food-trust/early-years/ or Infant and Toddler Forum www.infantandtoddlerforum.org/portion-sizes-table-2015