Tooth decay has become by far the biggest reason why primary school children are admitted to hospital, new research has found. Almost 26,000 children in England aged between 5 and 9 have been hospitalised to have multiple tooth extractions in 2013-14 — the equivalent of nearly 500 a week! (The Sunday Times, 13 July 2014.)

The Times also recently produced an article citing that 1 in 8 children in Britain has tooth decay (22 October 2014) and at Oak Lodge we are all very aware that this level of poor oral health can in fact affect a child's general health for life.

At Oak Lodge, we strongly believe this situation is completely unacceptable and it has prompted us to think deeply about our role in the community and our responsibilities as dental health professionals. As a result we have developed The Acorn Club, which is specifically designed to give all children access to the highest possible quality dental care for little or no cost.

The plan is split into four categories, based on the child's age and dental development:  

Acorns Aged 0 -12 years....Free Of Charge!

Acorns + Aged 0- 12 years....£3 per month

Seedlings: Aged 12 -16 years....£4 per month

Saplings: Aged 16- 18 years....£5 per month

Membership includes:

• 3 Check-ups with a dentist per year
• 1 Hygienist Appointment per year
• Supplementary Worldwide Dental Emergency Insurance*
• 50% Off Any Necessary Treatment

*Insurance not applicable for Acorns attending free of charge.

The plan is a fun way to approach and manage childhood dental care, we have prepared a wide range of fun activities and competitions for plan members to help them see the dentist as a fun place to go without fear or pain. Our goal is make a difference to our local community, reducing childhood tooth decay by making great quality dental care more accessible and of course more fun!

We are holding a launch event at the practice from 1:45pm on Monday 27th October, please do come along for more fun, games, competitions and information.