title: Summary of: a school-based oral health intervention in East London: the Happy Teeth fluoride varnish programme.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Community Dental Services of Barts Health NHS Trust in City and Hackney and Tower Hamlets PCTs in East London have provided a school-based oral health intervention since 2009.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this paper is to present the programme development, outcomes and evaluation.
  
  
  METHODS
  The programme consists of fluoride varnish (FV) applications linked to school dental screenings for three- to six-year-olds, combined with oral health promotion for parents/carers. An outreach linkworker works closely with schools to help identify and support vulnerable families into the programme.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the first year of the programme 160 of the target children (42%) had one FV application and 81 children (21%) had two applications. In the second year 149 children (39%) had one FV application, and 113 (29%) had two applications. Amendments to the protocol increased programme participation in the third year, with 1,822 of the target children (61%) having one FV application and 1,586 (53%) having two applications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The programme proved acceptable to the school staff, participating parents/carers and children. The Happy Teeth programme is proposed as a model for school-based fluoride varnish programmes.
authors.forename: Ivor G
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Chestnutt
mesh_terms: D002327:Cariostatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005460:Fluorides, Topical / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D012572:School Health Services
chemical_list: D002327:Cariostatic Agents; D005460:Fluorides, Topical