Over two million toothbrush packs delivered to school children as the UK Governments Partnership with Colgate-Palmolive begins

17 September 2025 (Last updated: 17 Sep 2025 09:26)

More than two million toothbrushes and toothpastes have been delivered to the most deprived areas of England, and military families overseas, so 3 to 5-year-olds in early years settings are supported to develop positive toothbrushing habits.

This is part of the Government’s five-year groundbreaking collaboration with Colgate-Palmolive, in which the company is donating more than 23 million toothbrushing products, to support the NHS and to help protect children from tooth decay.

The national supervised toothbrushing programme is part of the Government’s Plan for Change and commitment to raise the healthiest ever generation of children.

 More than two million toothbrushes and toothpastes have been delivered to 3-5 year olds in early years settings in the most deprived areas of England, as well as military families overseas, this September. The delivery marks the beginning of a five-year collaboration between the Government and Colgate-Palmolive to help children develop positive toothbrushing habits and set them on a path to better oral health, as part of the government’s Plan for Change.

The new scheme is expected to help up to 600,000 3-5 year olds in early years settings to develop good toothbrushing habits this school year.

Children of overseas British military families serving in bases ranging from the Netherlands, Cyprus, Germany and the Falklands who historically have been underserved will also receive toothbrushing packs as part of the government mission to address inequalities.

Health Minister Stephen Kinnock was in Sheffield today visiting Tinsley Meadows Primary Academy school to see how the rollout was progressing in the city, where nearly 9,500 children will receive packs this year.

Removal of decayed teeth remains the most common reason for a 5-9 year old child to be admitted to hospital in England. Supervised toothbrushing is the government’s first step to improving children’s oral health as part of the commitment to raise the healthiest ever generation of children. There has also been a consultation to expand community water fluoridation to the North-East.

Health Minister Stephen Kinnock said:  

“We know that a third of five-year-olds in the most deprived areas have experience of tooth decay - something we know can have a lifelong impact on their health.

“This is why we are getting on with the job of delivering these toothbrush & toothpaste packs to the most deprived areas to help children have the best start in life by reinforcing good toothbrushing habits.

“We are so grateful to Colgate-Palmolive who have worked tirelessly with us to get two million packs out to more than 500,000 children for the start of this school year to deliver on our ambition.” 

The two million packs have come through the innovative collaboration with Colgate-Palmolive, which has committed to donate over 23 million toothbrushes and fluoride toothpastes over the next five years to support the programme.

Across the country 3 Colgate Trucks will be delivering donated products to local authorities to support their supervised toothbrushing schemes throughout the year.

The partnership also includes oral health educational materials and products for home, so families have the support they need to make sure the good habits continue at home and over the school holidays. 

Additional funding worth £11 million has been distributed to local authorities who will work to identify early years settings in target areas and encourage them to take part in daily supervised toothbrushing. 

Improving children’s oral health was recognised as a priority in the recently published 10 Year Health Plan.   

The programme is designed to reduce the inequalities in oral health and to make sure every child living in a deprived area has access to evidence-based oral health interventions across the country.

It is also part of the government’s mission to give every child the best start in life and rebuild our health care system through the Plan for Change. The government is also driving forward action to improve oral health across the country and fundamentally reform the NHS dental sector.

Colgate-Palmolive’s Representative Jimena Rodriguez, VP, Consumer Experience said:

At Colgate-Palmolive, our purpose is to reimagine a healthier future for all. We believe every child deserves a healthier smile—and a brighter future.

That’s why we are excited to see the launch of the Supervised Brushing Programme and to have already delivered more than 2 million fluoride toothpaste and toothbrush packs directly to children who need them most, and an additional 3 million packs by the end of December.

This achievement marks a significant step forward in tackling oral health inequalities and making meaningful, lasting impact where it's needed most.

Since 2014, our Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures™ programme has been a cornerstone of this mission. We are incredibly proud to have reached over 18 million children across the UK, equipping them with vital oral health education and providing essential health and hygiene products.

The strides we are making today aren’t just about brighter smiles – they are about building a solid foundation for better health and brighter opportunities for generations to come.

Supervised toothbrushing is a proven, evidence-based health intervention, and is expected to deliver measurable improvements to children’s oral health and reductions in oral health inequalities from between two and three years after launch. 

The programme is expected to return £3 for every £1 for the Government invested in supervised brushing, with a potential of over £34 million generated for the investment committed this year over the next 5 years. 

 

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Notes to editors:

For more information about Colgate-Palmolive’s, visit the Company’s website at https://www.colgatepalmolive.co.uk/. To learn more about the Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures® oral health education program, please visit https://www.colgate.com/en-gb/mission/oral-health-commitment/bsbf

 

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