The Fulbright Commission in Ireland and the RCSI Faculty of Dentistry, in collaboration with the Fulbright Smiling Children group, is advising parents to ensure children receive early dental checks, ideally before one year of age, to prevent more serious oral issues occurring at a later stage.

The announcement was made in advance of the Fulbright Smiling Children Dental Health Awareness event, which takes place at RCSI on Wednesday, 26 October 2022.

The event is taking place as part of a collaboration between the Fulbright Commission and RCSI that is aiming to improve the oral health of the children in Ireland.

Led by experts in children’s dentistry, Professor Jeffrey Dean, Fulbright Scholar, and Professor John Walsh, paediatric dentist, the awareness evening aims to educate and inform parents as to how to create a solid foundation for lifelong oral health, preventing costly and more serious dental issues occurring at later stages. The availability and accessibility of well-trained dental healthcare professionals will also be crucial to help to maintain oral health.

Professor Dean said: "It has been reported that lack of access to services and oral health improvement programmes, along with cultural and educational barriers, contribute to a large number of the dental problems in children. Good dental health requires an important effort by parents and children from an early age. This event aims to give the parents the tools they need to instill good dental habits in their children which will last them through life. This awareness event is an essential part of our overall strategy to reduce the prevalence of tooth decay that causes infection, pain, and tooth destruction in far too many Irish children today."

Topics that will be discussed at the awareness event include: the first dental visit, best brushing habits, how to prevent decay in children with a teeth friendly diet, the benefits of fluoride and preventing tooth injuries.

Established in 2019, the RCSI Fulbright programme offers full scholarships for US candidates to complete their PhDs at the RCSI campus in Dublin. This initiative builds on RCSI’s existing partnership with the Fulbright Commission, which has enabled junior and senior academics from RCSI and US institutions to spend time sharing expertise across the two countries.

The Fulbright Smiling Children programme is part of a joint initiative between the Fulbright Commission and RCSI that aims to improve the dental health of children, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

If you wish to attend the event, you can register here.