In response to a recent study showing Icelandic children have poor dental hygiene when compared to children of many other countries, a national record will be set of tooth-brushing today.
The study, conducted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), examined the dental hygiene of children from countries within the OECD. Icelandic children ranked sixth to last place in this area.
In response, Mogunblaðið reports, students from Snælandsskóli – along with Sportacus of LazyTown and the employees of the school – will hold a competition in the cafeteria of the school to see who can brush their teeth the longest.
Barnaheill – Save the Children is also not taking the matter sitting down. Teaming up with the students, they have made a video which will be shown when Barnaheill holds a symposium tomorrow at Grand Hotel. There a petition will also be passed around, collecting signatures to call upon the government to do something to reverse the trend of poor dental hygiene among the country’s children.
According to a United Nations law on children’s rights, of which Iceland is a signatory, all children have the right to the best possible medical care, regardless of income. For this reason, Barnaheill contends, it is the responsibility of the government to take steps to ensure the dental hygiene of Iceland’s children improves.
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