Kick out the sweets, says dental trade

The dental industry is getting behind the government's campaign to improve the nation's health.

The British Dental Trade Association (BDTA) is supporting the Department of Health's (DH) Change4Life (C4L) initiative through a campaign which promotes the benefits of a healthy mouth to overall good health and ultimately encourages families to continue to visit the dentist.

C4L is the social marketing component of the Government's much broader response to the rise in obesity – seen as one of the greatest health challenges facing society.

It was launched to the public in January 2009.

The BDTA campaign, will be rolled out from September using the strapline: Kick out the sweets, bring on the healthy treats, supported by a collection of colourful cartoon characters.

A poster, designed to encourage children to swap sugary foods with healthy alternatives and persuade parents to introduce healthy food into their children's and even their own diets, will be sent to dental practices across England and Wales together with the DoH's C4L questionnaire.

Members of the dental team will be asked to encourage the parents who visit the practice to complete the questionnaires, with the involvement of their children.

Stickers will be given to the children who get involved and participating practices will have the chance to win one of four £500 vouchers to spend with a BDTA member company.

Tony Reed, executive director at the BDTA, says: 'The initiative allows us to communicate positive messages to patients in the dental practice waiting room, particularly children, and highlight the connection between a healthy mouth and good overall health.

'It also assists the BDTA's strategy to communicate with the dental team by providing them with posters and promotional incentives for patients.  We are pleased to be strengthening our relationship with the DoH by working with them on this campaign.'
 
The success of the campaign relies on the involvement of dental practices across England and Wales promoting these positive health and dental messages over the coming months.

Look out for your C4L pack which will be arriving in September. There will be a Change4Life stand at this year's Dental Showcase at ExCeL, London.

Showcase will provide a useful information point for members of the dental team wanting to get involved with the eye-catching campaign and find out more.

Questionnaires, posters and stickers will be available for visitors who want to advertise the message in their practices.

BDTA Dental Showcase 2010 takes place 14-16 October 2010 at ExCeL London. To register in advance for your complimentary ticket visit www.dentalshowcase.com/visit, call the registration hotline on +44 (0) 1494 729959 or text your name, address, occupation and GDC number to 07786 206 276.  Advance registration closes 1 October 2010. On-the-day registration: £10 per person.

For further information on the BDTA, visit www.bdta.org.uk.