A national supervised toothbrushing campaign has been launched in a bid to “revive” the country’s oral health.

The programme - in which children are encouraged to brush their teeth with a fluoride toothpaste - will take place in early years settings, including nurseries and schools.

While many welcomed the scheme, education leaders said that schools cannot be expected to “fix all of society’s ills” and that steps must be taken to prevent a shift of “what is ultimately a parental responsibility on to the shoulders of schools”.