The Brush Bus is a Bury initiative to promote daily tooth brushing and positive oral hygiene in EYFS. Oral Health is part of the new EYFS curriculum and is a government initiative. It is anticipated that children’s oral health will have deteriorated not only during the Coronavirus pandemic but will continue during the recovery period. This is thought to be due to children spending more time at home and reduced access to an NHS dentist.

• In 2020 - 50,000 children in England were hospitalized to have teeth extracted under a General anaesthetic
• This was a 40% increase
• Cost – millions to the NHS
• 35% of children are embarrassed about their teeth
• 6% have had time off school  4% of parents have had time off work to look after their children suffering with toothache The prevalence of tooth decay in the borough of Bury is high as in the rest of Greater Manchester.