Nurseries in the most deprived areas of England are to receive government funding to help them support children’s oral health.

The government is rolling out a supervised toothbrushing programme for up to 600,000 three- to five-year-olds, to help children develop positive habits and protect them from tooth decay.

The £11m programme is launched in collaboration with Colgate-Palmolive, which is donating more than 23 million toothbrushes and toothpastes as well as educational materials and a children’s oral health campaign.

The most common reason for children aged five to nine being admitted to hospital is to have treatment for decayed teeth. One in three children in deprived areas of England have tooth decay. 

Local authorities will work to identify early years settings in target areas and encourage them to enrol in the scheme, which is voluntary for nurseries and schools.

Early education minister Stephen Morgan said: “Through our Plan for Change, this government is working hard to break the unfair link between background and opportunity, to ensure tens of thousands more children are school ready every year.”

The government said every £1 spent on supervised toothbrushing is expected to save £3 in avoided treatment costs, amounting to over £34 million over the next five years

June O’Sullivan, chief executive of the London Early Years Foundation (LEYF), said children’s oral health in the UK  was a “ silent epidemic no one talks about”. “Tooth decay doesn’t just cause pain – it disrupts sleep, eating, learning and the ability to speak clearly, which is crucial for a child’s development and confidence,” she said. “Unfortunately, the impact is felt most by disadvantaged children which is why this government-backed supervised toothbrushing programme is very much welcomed. “

She added: “At LEYF, we’ve seen first-hand how daily brushing in nurseries transforms children’s oral health and wellbeing. Scaling this nationally will give hundreds of thousands of children the best start in life. While it’s not our role to replace parents in this responsibility, we are committed to supporting our LEYF families. This programme will help educate parents on the importance of oral health and a healthy diet, ensuring good habits are built at home as well as in nursery.”