Small Bricks Project aims at supporting children who receive treatment at the NHS Community Dental Service in Wales. 

 

The NHS Community Dental Service in Wales provides free dental care to a large number of children, referred by general dentists and other health professionals. These children may be frightened of the dentist, may have disabilities, may come from a vulnerable background or may need complex treatment under Conscious Sedation or General Anaesthesia.

 

Small Bricks Project was created to support all these children and help them engage with the dental teams, accept treatment and prevention interventions and make their dental visits an enjoyable and memorable experience! 

 

We use donated Lego bricks and parts to build various minibuilds, birds, robots, spaceships, unicorns.     The minibuilds are used as a positive reinforcement tool in the dental surgery, and given to the children as a gift at the end of their dental treatment.

 

April 2023 Update:  

Participating community dental clinics

- Elizabeth Williams Clinic, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire

- North Road Clinic, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion

- Winch Lane Clinic, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire

Next step:

- Carmarthen

- Swansea

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Benefits:

 

1. Lego is great topic for the dentist to discuss and establish a good rapport with a child patient. Children love playing with Lego and talking about it!

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2. Describing the project and the available minibuilds is an effective distraction from the dental treatment and some often uncomfortable procedures. 

 

3. The use of a loyalty card, where the child collects stamps towards the Small Bricks Project minibuild works as an incentive to attend dental appointments. This is important for the progression of the treatment of young patients who need encouragement. 

 

4. The Small Bricks Project minibuild is given as a Reward at the end of the dental treatment, increasing the confidence of the children and helping them leave the surgery with a smile on their face!

 

5. Small Bricks Project also promotes the idea of reusing/upcycling Lego bricks to build new fun creations, the idea of playing with bricks instead of video games and the idea of sharing/donating toys to other children and good causes!

 

With your support we will continue to run Small Bricks Project and also extend its reach to NHS Community Dental Services across Wales and beyond!