Fluoride Varnish Programme

It was highlighted by Public Health England (PHE), that Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale have poor oral health in children aged 5, following a national dental survey, as a result of this we now provide the Fluoride Varnish programme.

If your child has not visited a dentist in the last 12 months then they will need to have the Fluoride Varnish applied in school. You will receive a letter from school to tell you when the dental nurse will visit and you can consent to your child being given the varnish. If your child visits the dentist regularly they will apply the varnish to your child's teeth so there is no need to have it done in school. The nurse will also provide a list of dental surgeries who are taking on new patients. 

This scheme consists of three Senior Dental Nurses, who will be applying Fluoride varnish on children aged 3 to 5 years old twice a year in early years and school settings.

Fluoride Varnish is a thin layer of fluoride that is applied to the teeth. It is a golden/yellow colour that tastes very pleasant.

The advantages are:

• It helps to prevent tooth decay
• It strengthens tooth enamel
• Fluoride Varnish reduces decay by up to 35% in addition with tooth brushing

Fluoride Varnish is applied in 3 easy steps:

1. Open wide
2. Dry teeth with a cotton wool roll
3. Apply a thin coating of fluoride on to the teeth with a little brush