Hollingworth Primary pupils win Smile Month poster competition

Reception pupils from Hollingworth Primary School have been named winners of a local competition celebrating National Smile Month.

Organised by Tameside Council’s Public Health team, the competition invited children aged 5–7 across the borough to design colourful and informative posters showing how they look after their teeth. The winning entries from Hollingworth Primary Reception impressed judges with their creativity and clear oral health messages.

As winners, the school received an oral health goody bag packed with resources to support dental hygiene, including books, a giant teeth model and toothbrush, a demonstration puppet, and materials to help families promote healthy habits at home.

National Smile Month, which ran from 12 May to 12 June, promotes key messages for better oral health, such as brushing teeth for two minutes twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, reducing sugary snacks and drinks, and visiting the dentist regularly. These habits are especially important in Tameside, where local data shows that over a quarter of children have tooth decay in their baby teeth, which is higher than the national average.

Cllr Taf Sharif, Tameside Council Executive Member for Population Health and Wellbeing, said: “I’m incredibly proud of the Reception pupils at Hollingworth Primary – their posters are not only creative, but they also carry such an important message about looking after our smiles. Oral health is a vital part of a child’s overall wellbeing, and it’s heartening to see young children leading the way in spreading that message. I hope their work inspires families across Tameside to build strong, healthy habits together – because every child deserves to grow up with a happy, healthy smile.”

To find a local dentist, visit: https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist/.
For more oral health advice, visit: https://www.tameside.gov.uk/health/oralhealth.

If a school or nursery is teaching children about the importance of good oral health, Tameside Council’s Public Health team can provide free educational resources to support classroom learning. Children aged 3–5 years will receive a dental pack to take home.

The team also offers a free supervised toothbrushing scheme for local schools and nurseries. For more information, contact lynn.callaghan@tameside.gov.uk.