Water fluoridisation will be considered and supermarkets will be asked to remove sweets from the checkout in a raft of new measures aimed at improving the appalling dental health among Hammersmith and Fulham's children.
A shock report earlier this year found half the borough's under-fives are suffering from tooth decay due to poor oral health, way above the London average of 33 per cent.
Child dental admissions to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital cost the NHS more than £350,000 last year, prompting health chiefs to set up a task group, which this week presented its findings to Hammersmith and Fulham Council.
The authority has agreed to set aside a budget of £89,000 to spread awareness of a problem which is linked to deprivation, while it has also pledged to look into the prospect of water fluoridisation, which has been found to significantly reduce decay.
The issue will be debated at a full council meeting where it could be decided to hold a future public consultation over whether the borough should join areas such as Birmingham in adding fluoride to the water system, where decay has been reduced by up to 40 per cent.
It further agreed to ask shops and leisure centres to 'chuck sweets off the checkout' as part of a separate campaign to improve children's diets, while schools will be forced to conduct dental inspections, improve oral health signposting and focus further on healthy eating as part of a number of new directives.
Inner North West London NHS Primary Care Trust will introduce a number of initiatives, including a targeted fluoride varnishing campaign for three-five-year-olds, the distribution of tooth brushes and toothpaste to targeted groups and special support for children in care,
Nadeev Pooni, dental expert for the central London NHS Trust, said it is vital parents hammer home the importance of good hygiene early and added the new measures are vital to help a whole generation of children improve their oral health.
He said: "When it comes to children's teeth, it's important to set good habits early, as studies have proved that tooth decay is relatively easy to prevent," she said. "Our aim is to raise awareness of the importance of dental care and the importance of starting good habits early."
