We are a student-led project based at the University of Manchester Dental Hospital. The project name 'HIPPOH' stands for 'Helping Infants & Parents to Protect their Oral Health'. This project is led by 'Manchester Paediatric Dentistry Student Society' (MPDSS) in collaboration with Manchester Student Union. The main aim of our project is to educate parents about oral health during pregnancy and also about the oral health of their infant.
Why is this project needed?
A recent study has shown that more than 1 in 3 five year olds across Greater Manchester experience tooth decay - well above the England national average of 25%. When it comes to avoiding dental disease - early prevention is key. It is paramount that parents are informed about how to take care of their children's oral health from the get-go.
Our aim is to give expectant parents all the information that they need in order to give their child the best start to their oral health. It is our hope that this will help reduce childhood decay rates in Greater Manchester.
During our sessions, we will be giving presentations to expectant parents. We will use props to help demonstrate some of our points. At the end of the session, we will be giving out goodie bags to attendees. Sessions will take place in Greater Manchester.
Here are some of the topics that we will cover for mothers:
- How to access free NHS treatment when pregnant
- Oral changes that might occur during pregnancy
- Should oral hygiene routine change during pregnancy?
Here are some topics that we will cover for their infants:
- Why do baby teeth matter?
- Advice regarding weaning, dummies, teething
- Registering with a dentist and attending their first check before the age of 1
- Oral hygiene for infants and older children
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2 hours