AN innovative dental care advice project for schoolchildren is being rolled out across the Wellington area later this year.

Local campaigner George Western said this week Rockwell Green Primary School was among the first to sign up to take part.

The ‘Magic Dentist’ scheme sees dental practices visit schools to provide education on oral hygiene and care delivered ‘by magic’.

Mr Western, who is the Liberal Democrat candidate in next week’s by-election in Rockwell Green for a town council seat, is a trustee of the charity.

He said: “With two-thirds of children in the area unable to see an NHS dentist, thousands are missing out on education about oral hygiene.

“I became a trustee of the Magic Dentist two years ago in response to the ongoing crisis in dentistry.

“I am delighted to confirm we have our sights set on Wellington, my home town, and somewhere that has been at the centre of the ‘dental desert’ our area faces.

“We have a dental practice confirmed to deliver the sessions and, once they have been through our training programme, we will be excited to work with Rockwell Green School to deliver this much-needed education.

“As the Magic Dentist continues to grow, we will be looking at how we can also deliver treatment to those who need it most.

“We are reaching out to potential sponsors to help us continue this mission in other communities across the UK.”

Charity founder Nicki Rowland said: “George has been a massive part of the Magic Dentist’s journey.

“From small beginnings to winning charity of the year at the Private Dentistry Awards last year, we have been on a mission to reduce hospitalisations because of poor dental hygiene.”

By-election voting on Tuesday, February 10, is between 7 am and 10 pm.

Other candidates are: Andrew Denison (Reform UK), Beth Hill (Labour), and Edward Yates (Conservative).