The work of the charity includes

1. Providing vital support and information for sick children and their families – The helpline was set up 20 years ago.  It is a Freephone Helpline that is available for parents and carers, children and young people to use if they have a problem or query regarding healthcare, from what to expect when they need to go into hospital to how to register your child with a GP.
2. Education and training – As a parent it is hard to know what to do when your child is unwell. We have put together vital information and have developed specific publications and DVDs to help parents cope with and prepare for different aspects of their children’s healthcare.
3. Research – our most recent research includes a ‘First Contact Care Survey’ ascertaining parent ’s views on “When they first decide they are concerned about the health of their child and need to take their child to a health service professional.” – Through this survey parents and carers have been given a ‘timely voice’ alongside our recommendations.
4. Standard setting – We produced ‘The Charter for Children’s Health’ in 2000 which sets the standards we adhere to on behalf of sick children in England. Many improvements that you see in hospitals today are also due to standards set by Action for Sick Children including the fact that it is now accepted that parents can stay in hospital with their sick child.

The ethos of Action for Sick Children’s Dental Playbox® Project is to educate children, through the powerful medium of play, about the importance of good oral health and to empower them to make healthy choices. We will nurture relationships with other professionals in order to improve oral health outcomes for ALL children.

Background

The Dental Playbox Project® was established in 2007 in response to concerns about the increasing national issues surrounding children’s oral health. 1 in 4 five year olds and 1 in 3 twelve year olds suffer from tooth decay. As many as 1 in 4 children’s hospital admissions are for dental treatment, most of which would be entirely preventable with the right oral health care and education.

As dental cavities start in the pre-school and early years we target this age group with our preventative programme and provide ongoing support for teachers and Early Years Leaders to continue to reinforce these vital messages through our Teacher’s Resource Pack. We are a community-based charity project and rely solely on donations to carry out our work. Through the Dental Playbox Project®, Action for Sick Children provides highly trained Facilitators with carefully designed Dental Playboxes to visit playgroups, nurseries and schools helping children learn through play about good dental care.

Aims and beliefs

Our aim is to help children learn through play, appropriate to their age, how to look after their own teeth and to feel happy and secure when visiting the dentist. We will always safeguard children and promote their rights whilst placing the oral health and overall wellbeing of children at the centre of our work.

We believe that:

1. When children are familiar with equipment and have a clearer understanding of what to expect they will have a more positive experience in a clinical dentist environment.

1. By educating children about good oral health routines we are empowering them to make choices which will have a positive impact on their lives both now and in the future.

1. Toothbrushes, fluoride toothpaste and regular visits to the dentist are must have items and should not be seen as ‘luxuries’, regardless of a child’s circumstances.

1. Working together with other professionals helps us to advocate children’s rights to education and health information and to ensure equal access to all children, regardless of their circumstances.

Our Dental Playbox® project is for ALL children and young people but particularly for deprived communities where a toothbrush and toothpaste can often be considered a luxury. Hard to imagine but true! Currently 100 children are admitted to hospital each month for dental procedures – this causes distress to the child and their parents. There are also associated risks with having an anesthetic and quite simply the pain of being put through a PREVENTABLE operation.  These procedures are costing the NHS £2.8billion per year – improving the oral health of the children in our communities will ensure that more NHS resources can be used for the people who need it most. 

Action for Sick Children's Dental Playbox® has been endorsed by NHS England and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.