Last week was a very exciting week for mydentist, as we launched our first ever app!

After months of design and production, The Plaque Attack, is now is available free to download from Apple and Android. The app has been launched as part of our Kids’ Club initiative, which aims to educate children on the benefits of maintaining good oral health and clarify what foods are good and bad for your teeth.

The Plaque Attack challenges users aged five years and upwards to defend their teeth from cavity, decay and plaque causing nasties by identifying food baddies and goodies in a race against the clock – but it’s not just for children, it’s seriously good fun for the whole family.

Additional features of the app include:

• Interactive colouring sheets for younger children, reinforced with dental care tips for parents
• Dental health fact sheets, which include essential information on how to look after your child’s smile – from mums-to-be, new-borns and toddlers right through to bigger boys and girls.

The launch of the educational app follows our mydentist research findings from 2,000 UK families, which reveal that when it comes to identifying the good foods from the bad there is a lot of confusion, particularly where sugar content is concerned. Twenty per cent of parents believe fruit smoothies are good for their children’s teeth and a further nineteen per cent consider sippy cups to be safe options, despite both often containing large amounts of added sugar and additives.   

The same research also revealed that 41 per cent of children don’t brush their teeth twice daily and 19 per cent of parents don’t understand the benefits of fluoride.  

Barry Cockcroft is a non-executive director at mydentist and previous Chief Dental Officer of England, in a recent conversation with him about the findings, he said: “Our research has highlighted a lot of confusion among both parents and children about good dental health. It can be difficult for parents to navigate their way through all the mixed messages they’re given, especially when it comes to which foods are good for their families teeth and which aren’t. The launch of the Plaque Attack app aims to offer children, big and small, a fun way to learn about their teeth and how they can take care of them.”

Despite dental care being offered free on the NHS to children under the age of 16 years old, it’s understood that 30 per cent of children didn’t see an NHS dentist between 2012 and 2014 and dental issues remain the main reason for children being admitted into hospital.

If you haven’t already downloaded it, make sure you put it on your list of things to do, as you’re guaranteed to have hours of fun with all the family in a race against the clock to attack the plaque!

For more information visit www.mydentist.co.uk/theplaqueattack