Oral Health Improvement NHS Shetland

08/09/2026

✨ NEW DATES RELEASED: ASIST ✨

In partnership with Mind Your Head, Healthy Shetland are working to make ASIST as accessible as possible by delivering courses in local communities across Shetland:

"We’re pleased to share that our next ASIST course will take place at Islesburgh Community Centre, Lerwick in October"

📅 21-22 October 2026
🕘 9.00am–5.00pm (both days)
💷 Free to attend

To book a place, contact the Health Improvement Team:
☎️ 01595 743330
📧 [email protected]
📲 Or scan the QR code.

🔁 Please reshare to help spread the word.

✨ NEW DATES RELEASED: ASIST ✨

In partnership with Mind Your Head, we’re working to make ASIST as accessible as possible by delivering courses in local communities across Shetland.

We’re pleased to share that our next ASIST course will take place at Islesburgh Community Centre, Lerwick in October.

📅 21-22 October 2026
🕘 9.00am–5.00pm (both days)
💷 Free to attend

To book a place, contact the Health Improvement Team:
☎️ 01595 743330
📧 [email protected]

📲 Or scan the QR code.

🔁 Please reshare to help spread the word.

03/09/2026

There is lots happening at the hub throughout Recovery month! Take a look at our September events calendar and see what's coming up.

Please note we are CLOSED Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday this week.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.

01/09/2026

Created by students from Dundee's School of Dentistry, the British Society for Paediatric Dentistry has a series of great comics for children and young people available to download for free. We have had the honour of hosting some of these brilliant and creative students right here in Shetland earlier this summer!

Children and young people can enjoy reading these as they learn about how to prevent tooth decay by looking after their teeth and gums.

You can download these comics for free here: https://ow.ly/nM8W50ZzrUy

We have some comics on good oral health for children and young people.

The Dundee School of Dentistry have developed a series of comics for children and young people to enjoy reading as they learn about how to prevent tooth decay by looking after their teeth and gums.

You can download these comics for free here: https://ow.ly/nM8W50ZzrUy

01/09/2026

🌟 Snack-tember Challenge! 🌟

This month, we are supporting the British Nutrition Foundation's campaign!
Let's:

🔍 Explore better snacking
🥒 Try new healthy snacks
👩‍🍳 Make snacks from scratch

Choose snacks with:
✅ More fruit & veg
✅ More wholegrains, beans & pulses
✅ Less saturated fat, salt & sugar

27/08/2026

🕯️ International Overdose Awareness Day Candle Memorial Event 🕯️

Join us on Monday 31 August as we come together to remember those we have lost, support those affected by overdose, and raise awareness of how overdose can be prevented.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of people worldwide lose their lives to overdose. Many more experience life-changing harm, with lasting impacts on families, friends, and communities. Sadly, Shetland is not immune to these tragedies.

International Overdose Awareness Day shines a light on an issue that has too often remained hidden. It is a time to remember, reflect, and recognise that overdose can affect anyone.

Our candle memorial event will provide a space for quiet reflection, remembrance, and solidarity with individuals and families affected by substance use. Together, we can show our support and help build a safer, healthier Shetland for everyone.

📅 Monday 31 August
🕗 8.00pm – 10.00pm
📍 Lerwick Flower Park

We encourage everyone to come along, light a candle, and share their own reason for supporting a safer and healthier community.

💜 Remember. Support. Raise Awareness. 💜

🕯️💜

27/08/2026

💎What's in your Bottle?! 💎

Don't let your sweet tooth get the better of you! Sipping sugary or acidic drinks (fruit juices, sugar free juice, flavoured water, etc ) is like giving your teeth a never-ending sugary shower!

And let's be real, who wants to deal with tooth decay or enamel erosion?

💧Let's ditch the sugar and fill those bottles with plain water instead!
Your teeth will thank you for it!

💧Use water bottles for plain water only.

Let's stay cool, hydrated and SMILING!

26/08/2026

Tooth decay is mostly preventable. Too much sugar, too often can be very damaging to children's teeth.

Check product labelling, and keep all sugars (in drinks and food) to mealtimes only to reduce the risk.

Choose fresh fruit or vegetable pieces for snacks, with plain milk or water to drink between meals.

How much sugar is too much sugar for children?

Food and drinks can contain a lot of sugar, so here’s a handy reminder of children’s recommended daily limits.

Children aged 7 to 10 should have no more than 24g of free sugars a day, which is the equivalent of six sugar cubes.

Children aged 4 to 6 should have no more than 19g of free sugars a day, the equivalent of 5 sugar cubes.

Under 4s should avoid anything that contains added sugars.

Find more useful advice to look after children's teeth here: https://www.bspd.co.uk/Patients/PatientInfo

25/08/2026

🎓📚 School Days Are Here Again! 📚🎓

👋 Parents and Carers 👋

As children settle back into school and nursery, please keep an eye out for Childsmile Medical Update Letters and Consent Forms in nursery trays and coming home to you in school bags.

📝 Please take a few minutes to:
✅ Read the information carefully
✅ Complete the forms
✅ Update any medical information if required
✅ Return them to your child's school or nursery as soon as possible

‼️Please note - the Medical Update letter does NOT need to be returned unless you have made changes to the information.

Keeping your child's details up to date helps us ensure they can continue to benefit from the Childsmile programme and receive the best possible support for their oral health.

Thank you for your help and support in keeping Shetland's smiles healthy! 😁🦷✨

22/08/2026

‼️Please read this important release from the Shetland Alcohol and Drug Partnership below, and share widely ‼️

21/08/2026

Healthy gums go hand in hand with healthy teeth✅
You can find out more in this short article below⬇️

Gum disease (gingivitis and periodontal disease) is swelling, soreness or infection of the tissues supporting the teeth.