To think the level of state involvement many posters expect is bonkers?

[FaeryRing]

It seems like there is nothing the state shouldn’t be responsible for any more! Feeding your kids, getting them to school, hiring ‘behaviour specialists’ for every classroom because parents don’t want to discipline their own children, giving you money towards virtually anything you ask for because it’s not fair you have to pay for anything yourself.. I find it absolutely wild and don’t think it’s at all realistic or representative of what most adults believe?

Does anyone else remember being given those tablets at school to chew and they turned your teeth dark pink if there was plaque present

It might motivate a 7 year old kid to brush their own teeth so their teeth don't rot and they won't be in pain and can concentrate at school? Not every kid with shit parents will be motivated by a toothbrushing lesson but some will. And every kid saved from tooth pain is a win imo. Idk why people on here begrudge twenty minutes a year dedicated to a brushing lesson. That still leaves hours for maths English art etc. 🤔I'm being serious I worked in a school and saw "precious time" being wasted on things far more trivial so I don't understand why so many people on here disagree

The disclosing tablets? It happened once during my time at school but I missed it because I was off sick that day. I was disproportionately disappointed.

It was a couple of years ago so maybe age 4

Children need help way before age 7 if parents are neglecting basic care

Sadly handing it out at that time might not change the behaviour of adults still

If it’s curriculum it’s in there now 2019

‘new guidance will require that both primary and secondary school pupils are taught about dental health, including the benefits of good oral hygiene, dental flossing and regular dental check-ups, the characteristics of a poor diet, and the risks associated with unhealthy eating, including tooth decay.’

Age 7 being just an example but baby teeth start falling out at that age and the permanent ones come in so it's very important they're kept clean. I'm not expecting the neglectful parents to change because their child was given a toothbrush but as the child is becoming more independent they might take matters into their own hands especially if they had toothbrushing lessons at school.

It's like people think "fuck them kids born to a heroin addict they should suffer for their parents sins"
Some people have a mean streak and it shows
It doesn't take long to explain how to brush teeth to a kid and give the ones with shit parents (less than one percent of kids) a toothbrush wouldn't cost much money

If only the state did so much. The amount of support most parents get from the public sector is laughable, particularly for any SEN, and it has to be fought for, tooth and nail, every step of the way, even when needs are urgent and severe and/or it is the school's or local authority's duty to provide it.

I‘m not totally against, as I said we had it handed out anyway

It’s a pity if even with free info and toothbrush a 4 year old will be let down with neglect

It’s good oral health is in the curriculum

So adding into a basic biology lesson about oral hygiene, why we have teeth, their importance and how to protect them is somehow beyond a teachers ability?

As @EasternStandard has already pointed out, its the curriculum..... plus its working, the UKs children have, in comparison to Europe, quite good dental outcomes for children but not all.

Lets build on that, help the tiny minority who have poor parents and save the NHS a lot more than the cost of a toothbrush by helping to make all children's teeth even better?

But your attitude is why this country wastes so much money - short term savings = long term costs or as my Gran would have said "Penny wise, pound foolish"

Teachers leave the profession for a variety of reasons, under pay and extremely long out of school hours being the two main ones.

Nope. I have excellent comprehension skills. I was just being overly polite instead of tellingly you how stupid your idea is.

Because how do you identify the shit parents who aren't brushing their kids teeth? Really, how? What's your proposal? Kids on free school meals? Kids involved with social services?

It's impossible to say.

And you can guarantee if there was a system where schools had to try to do so, you'd have MNetters outraged that their DC was one of the few who was judged to have a shit parent so needed a free toothbrush.

So you'd have to give toothbrushes to every DC or none at all.

Yeah I've worked in a school.
The class teachers can tell which kids are being neglected it's always pretty damn obvious.

And it really doesn't matter how "outraged" they are, people like that already get "outraged" over being reported to social services. They can be as outraged as they want if they care so much maybe they should Stop neglecting their kids.

And as the poster above you pointed out it would cost less taxes to give them toothbrushes then is spent on emergency fillings by the NHS.

Lessons on oral health - good and already included

Toothbrushes to 7 year olds and a lesson on how to use them - no strong feelings either way, I don’t have the info to say

Daily brushing by teachers when young - I think that’s what people are discussing wrt earlier policy

My sister was a SENs teacher, she'd know which kids have time off for toothache, bad breath etc.

Toothbrushing skills can be incorporated into existing lessons without shaming the poor children who are in no way to blame.

Shameful some posters thing we should just ignore their suffering, indeed make it worse by doing nothing.

Everyone in my son’s reception class received a free toothbrush/paste and a lesson on tooth brushing.

that’s not what people have been talking about. A lesson and some toothbrushes? 100%

the teachers brushing teeth themselves daily? No.

Shameful some posters thing we should just ignore their suffering, indeed make it worse by doing nothing

where has anyone said this?

err you ve been the most vocal about having no school involvement, but its great if you ve changed your tune.

& no one has said teachers should brush childrens teeth, i explained that for a class of 30, that would take at least 3 hours, way back in the thread....

Scroll up there's posters saying it's a waste of time to teach toothbrushing lessons (once a year) and a waste of taxes to give toothbrushes to kids (just the ones with bad parents so not even all kids)
Also posters worried about shit parents being outraged and offended if their kid is given a toothbrush

They can tell the difference based on teeth between a kid being neglected and a kid who may have additional or sensory differences?

How? By looking? What? Looking at their teeth or just looking at them?

Because teeth brushing can be a major issue for those kids with ASC and/or sensory differences. Google it - lots of evidence.

And understandably, their parents would be pissed off for it to be insinuated their DC were being neglected and needed a free toothbrush.

What is 'damn obvious' that indicates a kid is being neglected in that school you allegedly worked in?

@Giraffesandbottoms Yes to be fair, this was your solution:

The alternative, which I think would be good, is to actually monitor people’s parenting more, and penalise them financially if they aren’t parenting properly

now that really would be the state being very much more involved in family life.

I don’t think ‘no one has said brush children’s teeth’ as that’s Labour’s pledge and some have said it sounds a good idea

The pledge is for supervised brushing. Not putting their hands in kids mouths

I didn't say they could merely by looking at their teeth.
I just said they KNOW, trust me they know, obvious signs like unwashed clothes, untreated lice, the kind of things the kid talks about.
Spend six hours a day five days a week with the same kids you can tell which ones are neglected

You seriously think teachers can't tell?

You put your hands in your dc mouth?

Bit odd

But yes it’s the daily brushing at school that’s up for discussion

& no one has said teachers should brush childrens teeth

Some are for this, even if they think it’s just supervising