The Plymouth Sunny Smiles Project

Supporting care experienced children and young people in their oral health and access to dental care
Plymouth Sunny Smiles Project. Logo on pop art background.
What this project is about
This project wants to find out how care experienced children and young people look after their oral health, how easy it is for them to visit the dentist and what happens to them when they get there. 
The aim of the project is to identify ways to improve children and young people’s oral health and experience of dental care.
We also want to explore dental health professionals’ thoughts and experiences of supporting the oral health of care experienced children and young people. 
Person in dentists chair with dentist
Group of young people talking and listening
Collaborating
Why this project is needed:
There is research to show that care experienced children and young people are more likely to have poor oral health and are less likely to go to the dentist than people who haven’t been in care. However, there is very little research explaining why there is this difference and what can be done to reduce it.  
Please download a pdf summary of the existing global evidence we found on the dental needs of care experienced children and young people
and how they access dental care.
How this project is different:
This project is different from previous research looking at this issue because it is being carried out together with care experienced children and young people themselves.
They are working closely with the researchers to see how best to carry out the research.
The project will explore the experiences and opinions of children and young people, foster carers, health, social care and dental professionals. 
What we will do with the findings:
A workshop will be held to discuss the findings and to develop recommendations for supporting oral health and improving access to dental care by care experienced children and young people.
These recommendations and ideas on how they can be implemented, will be shared locally and nationally with a view to making real and positive changes to dental care for care experienced children and young people.

Find out how get involved

Please choose the link below that best describes you:

 
 

Meet the team

University of Plymouth members

External members

  • Joelle Booth

    Joelle Booth

  • Avatar

    Janine Doughty

  • Sarah Kaddour

    Sarah Kaddour

  • Abby Nelder

    Abby Nelder

Stakeholder group 

We are working closely with a stakeholder group representing different specialties and foster carers that have an influence on oral health outcomes for care experienced young people.
 

Funding

The Plymouth Sunny Smiles Project is funded by The Borrow Foundation.