A campaign to improve children’s dental health has been launched.

The Brighter Smiles scheme will see dentists and schools working together in Cornwall in an attempt to prevent tooth decay among children aged from five to nine.

Around 1,000 children from the age group in the county go into hospital to have a tooth out each year – but the problem is 100 per cent preventable, said Cornwall-based dentists Smile Together.

‘We know that parents, guardians and schools welcome oral health education,’ said clinical director Chris Roberts.

’The Brighter Smiles campaign will see us step up our work in tackling this issue.’

The company plans to run its Brighter Smiles project as a pilot in Indian Queens, with funding coming from commercial sponsors and local donors.

It then hopes to see the scheme rolled out across Cornwall and taken up in other parts of the UK.