To think that parents are responsible for their children's teeth?

[insancerre]

Dental surgeon on BBC breakfast
Says that nurseries should be brushing children's teeth
She is regularly removing all 20 baby teethfrom toddlers under a general and giving teenagers false teeth

I work in a nursery and I really don't see this as my responsibility

It's down to parents to take children to the dentist and to brush their teeth

Is it so bad an idea If it keeps you in work?

I guess it depends what hours they are there. My DC brush their teeth after breakfast, so maybe she means that.

Not sure it's really practical though. Also, kids are not having all their teeth removed at 2yrs old because they only brush once a day.

I agree with you but there are obviously a lot of parents who couldn't care less or are ignorant to it.
I feel bad for the kids with those parents so I think I'd be tempted to give in and do their teeth.

Does this not depend on whether they have breakfast at nursery? I brush my DS teeth after breakfast so if he was going to nursery early enough that he won't have had breakfast I'd assume they brush his teeth there

Ive got plenty to do already
That's my point

Some people literally don't give a shit

I had a friend whose DD has issues with her teeth and needs regular appointments to get them painted.
She missed loads and complains it's the dentists should chase her to go.

The dentist said she had to be careful with sugar and she said 'how am I meant to do that?'. Child is free to eat sweets whenever she wants.

They don't want to take responsibility for their own children.

There are lots of things that nurseries and schools do that I consider as a parent to be my responsibility but what about those children whose parents don’t do it?

In Scotland they have started tooth brushing in nurseries and it has had a massive positive impact.

Parents are the ones responsible, yes.

Of course it is parents responsibility. But I don't think the suggestion is for nursery to do this instead of parents, but as well as. Nobody is passing on responsibility, but an extra brush every day isn't going to do harm, and will have huge benefits for those poor kids who's parents don't bother.

I don't see why anyone working in a nursery setting would have a problem with this.

Ultimately parents are always responsible for their children, but when they are at nursery the staff are responsible for their health and welfare.

So YABU.

I don't think it should be the nurserys responsibility at all. Parents should be brushing before they go to nursery. I have always been told brushing soon after eating damages the enamel, so we do it before breakfast. That way if having breakfast at nursery, it's been done before they get there.

Definitely parents not nursery or school.

Both settings are already doing far too many things that should be done by parents but they have to to catch those with parents who simply don't care.

Ive got plenty to do already

It makes me quite sad for a nursery worker to object to something which can only have positive implications for this reason.

Not in the job for the love of it, are you?

I agree with recalibrated. I used to get my children to clean their teeth after breakfast, but my dentist told me this was all wrong. You’re supposed to clean your teeth as soon as you get up, before you eat anything. Something about bacteria forming on your teeth overnight, and then if you chew food, the bacteria multiply. So, it’s better for your teeth if you clean them before you eat, now after.

I agree it’s the parents responsibility to make sure teeth are brushed. You’re supposed to brush before breakfast so having breakfast at nursery wouldn’t change that.

My DD’s nursery brush her teeth every day as part of their daily routine. This doesn’t mean I don’t bother to do it too.

We have a childsmile program in nurseries in Scotland so that children also get check ups and fluoride coatings placed on their teeth. Our nursery staff see it as part of their job much like changing nappies, washing their hands etc.

In Scotland kids brush their teeth at Nursery. Obviously we do it at home too but doing it often means that it’s more normalised and he’s had a chance to do it himself for practise as well as me doing it for/with him for thoroughness. It’s like any other skill really.

Bit shocked at what the Dentist is reporting.

In my experience, there wasn't much in the way of support from the health visitor with regard to techniques when baby is not feeling like having hers brushed. DH and I have worked it out on our own and now we seem to have a regimen that works.

Still another constant source of anxiety.

While nurseries brushing is a wonderful idea, I think it's a parent's responsibility and if you can't/won't seek advice and help if you're struggling to brush, ultimately there is a problem with your care of your DC.

I'd love nursery to do it as well. She's a proper nightmare for me.

I've posted that and then read a whole lot of posts saying not to brush after breakfast but before, so it looks like we're getting it wrong already and we're in Scotland where the childsmile programme is running. Feel bad for my ignorance now.

Totally disagree with you. It’s my responsibility to do it when my child is with me. My son has his teeth cleaned first and last thing. The nursery do it also pre nap, maintains the routine of ‘your sleeping, we cleaned teeth before you sleep’ if you worked at my sons nursery therefore it would be your responsibility to clean his teeth pre nap.

I also have enough tasks to do in my job but I don’t opt out of them.

Health promotion is also part of your job. I think people are getting to worked up about before/after etc when there are children who haven't had their teeth brushed at all.