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Louise Thomas
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Everyone’s favourite Bristolian TV host, Josie Gibson, might make presenting This Morning look easy, but she says that “being a parent is the hardest job in the world”.
Her only child, Reggie, five, was in and out of hospital for two years – a time she describes as “frightening”.
“Reggie was very ill when he was younger,” reflects the 39-year-old. “We were back and forth from the hospital for two years and eventually found out that he had a fermented gut because we were giving him a bad diet.
“Everyone was spoiling him and giving him sweets.
“It was really frightening at the time. He had a long-lasting bacterial infection. It shows that not looking after your dental hygiene can lead to these infections.”
Reggie was put on a paleo diet for a while, recommended by doctors, to strip the bacteria from of his gut, and has also had to miss school to have a filling put in over the last few years.
Gibson says these experiences made her realise how important diet and good oral hygiene habits are for our children’s health.
The daytime presenter has partnered up with Boots on new campaign called Brush with Boots, which launches August 29, to spread these important lessons to the nation.
“Being a parent is the hardest job in the world, and nobody is looking down their nose at anybody [else] because it is very difficult,” says the mum-of-one. “Every parent struggles when it comes to dental hygiene with their children.
“Trying to brush my little boy’s teeth is a struggle, so I can understand how hard it is – but you have just got to set that time aside.”
The presenter encourages Reggie to brush his teeth by making it a fun experience with songs and cartoon toothbrushes.
“We turn it into a game. We have got a little system where we try to sing baby shark, or some other song, all the way through,” shares the TV host. “We also have a reward chart on the fridge and when he brushes his teeth he gets a nice sticker.”
She has also experienced the impact healthy clean teeth has on confidence first-hand.
“I could not go on This Morning and present to the nation without good hygiene and good teeth. It is really important,” says Gibson. “It makes you a more confident person around other people.”
However, she also understands how hard it is for some families who, amid the cost-of-living crisis, can’t afford to buy oral hygiene products.
According to a YouGov survey of 1,517 adults commissioned by The Hygiene Bank, a third (29%) of parents experiencing hygiene poverty reported changes or a reduction in the quality of dental care products for their children due to financial constraints in the last year.
It also found that over two-thirds (68%) of those living without basic toiletries feel ashamed, and nearly three in four (73%) feel embarrassed.
“I was completely and utterly gobsmacked at the statistics,” recalls Gibson. “When you are choosing to put dinner on a plate rather than hygiene products – the embarrassment and shame that comes with that is awful.
“But we want to say goodbye to that shame and embarrassment.”
As part of the campaign, Boots is donating 175,000 dental products to The Hygiene Bank to help combat the impact of hygiene poverty on children’s oral health.
“We want to help these children go back to school with healthy smiles,” adds Gibson. “Healthy smiles means they learn better, play better and interact better.”
Josie Gibson and Boots are appealing for donations of dental hygiene products at The Hygiene Bank donation points, available in Boots stores across the country.
