Starting Well Core
Starting Well Core is a commissioning approach which aims to reduce oral health inequalities and improve oral health for children aged 0-2 years through:
- Increasing dental access and attendance for children aged 0-2 years.
- Delivering evidence-based preventive care in practice (e.g. preventive advice, fluoride interventions, support for behaviour change).
- Raising public and professional awareness to promote early-years dental attendance, and support the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry’s campaign for a Dental Check by One.
This involves four key components:
- Promoting full use of commissioned capacity and flexible commissioning arrangements to advance access opportunities for children aged 0-2 years.
- Providing clarity around care, documentation and submission of claims.
- Note for Avoidance of Doubt Dental visits for children under 3 years
- Supporting the profession with local training events and resources.
- Communication and engagement with Health & Social Care and Early Years stakeholders.
Starting Well Core has been made available to all NHS dental commissioning teams for local use. It is being implemented in different ways across the country, in alignment with local population needs and other local child oral health improvement work. Please contact your Local Dental Network (LDN) or local dental commissioning team to enquire about Starting Well Core and other child oral health improvement initiatives in your area.
For access to the Starting Well Core Resource Pack for dental professionals please email england.CDOExecutive@nhs.net, with a marked subject line “Please send link to SWC – Resources”.
The Starting Well Core: 0-2s dental access and prevention framework has been published as a guidance document for dental commissioners to support local implementation.