Did you know that NHS Ayrshire & Arran has an Oral Health Improvement Team?
Some of you may remember popping by one of their various stalls when the team visited a series of Council and HSCP locations at the end of 2022.
Well, if you did, you’ll recall that the team had a host of competition prizes on offer and our very own Fiona Martin (pictured right), Participation Officer in the Children’s, Families and Justice Team was the lucky winner of a brand new electric toothbrush to keep her smile glistening. Congratulations Fiona!
How the Oral Health Improvement team can help you…
The team are on-hand to help anyone concerned with or looking to improve their own oral health.
Their aim is to ensure that everyone can enjoy a healthy smile by making oral health a crucial part of their overall wellbeing.
The team aim to bring about positive changes in oral health and you can find out more about what they do on the website: NHS Ayrshire & Arran – Oral Health (nhsaaa.net)
Working in collaboration with the Childsmile Team and the Public Dental Service to provide the best possible oral health care and advice, they cover the whole of Ayrshire and Arran offering oral health information and advice, signposting to dental services, oral health talks and resources.
The benefits of a healthy smile
Did you know that our teeth have such an important role to play by helping us to speak clearly, eat our food and give our face shape? Having a healthy smile not only gives us confidence in how we look and feel, it can also influence our social lives, careers and relationships.
A smile is a great asset and has so many life changing benefits. That’s why it makes sense to give it the best care possible.
If you are organising a community or corporate event and would like to include an oral health improvement promotional stall, contact the team via email on: OralHealthImprovementTeam@aapct.scot.nhs.uk for further information on what resources are available on loan.
The team can also provide a variety of oral health training packages for all healthcare staff and other groups/people who have a responsibility for the health and wellbeing of others.
If you haven’t already, check out the LiveWell Oral Health page on Connects for a round-up of helpful information and tips relating to keeping good oral health.
Download the NHS Dental Health App
The NHS Ayrshire and Arran Dental Health App is a free and easy to download oral health resource.
Hazel Andrew from the Oral Health Improvement Team tells us more:
“The Oral Health app contains a wide range of helpful knowledge sections on oral health including lots of hints and tips for children and adults, guidance in relation to dental treatment, orthodontics, emergency treatment information, dental news and more…
“It’s a great resource to have to hand so if you haven’t already we’d encourage staff members to give it a quick download today as a first step in their oral health improvement journey.
“Thank you to everyone who took time to come along and chat to us at the recent North Ayrshire pop-up events. Please remember we are on hand to provide you with some extra reassurance when it comes to better looking after your smile.
“Since the events, we have had over 40 downloads of the app so it’s great to know that staff members at North Ayrshire Council are doing their part to try to take the best possible care of their oral health.”
