A leading dental school is helping to educate young children on oral health by handing out free books to school kids.
As part of the Plymouth-based Peninsula Dental School's ‘Happy Reading: Healthy Smile' project, more than 600 books are being distributed to local children aged two to five in a bid to encourage visits to the dentist .
The books, which have been bought with funding from the Devonport Regeneration Community Partnership (DRCP), are being handed out in bags that include oral health information and a voucher for a family oral health pack that can be redeemed at the Devonport dental education facility in the Devonport area of Plymouth.
The oral health pack includes dentist appointments and dental treatments, as well as dental disease prevention advice from students at the Peninsula Dental School and qualified members of staff.
The kids will also be given free new toothbrushes and toothpaste when they visit the students.
Wendy Smith, community development officer at the Peninsula Dental School, said: "We aim to encourage more people to read to their children, feel more positive about going to the dentist and help them to access the wide range of services available at our Devonport dental education facility – which is already a popular resource in the area and which has seen a great number of patients since it opened in April."
"We are grateful to DRCP for its support and the funding which has helped us to achieve this initiative," she added.
