Milton Keynes City Council has run a pilot scheme to increase access to oral and dental care for local children, and have confirmed plans to expand the scheme in 2025.

The scheme will see the City Council distribute more than 7,000 free toothbrushes next year.

Funded by the City Council’s Public Health team, a pilot scheme run in Bletchley saw more than 500 free toothbrushes, along with paste and oral care tips, distributed to local families in need.

Nationally, tooth decay remains the main cause of hospital admission among children aged 5 to 9 whilst almost a quarter of five-year-olds have experienced tooth decay.

This year, The Saplings Family Centre has offered regular sessions where parents and carers can pop in to access the free supplies for children and get advice.  In parallel, the City Council has worked with two primary schools in Bletchley to provide lesson plans around brushing and oral hygiene.

The expanded scheme will see these sessions offered across other City Council Family Centres including a stock of specialist toothbrushes designed for children with additional needs.

Councillor Donna Fuller, Cabinet Member for Adult Services, Health & Communities, said, “We recognise that oral hygiene among young people is a national issue which is why we want to get more supplies and guidance out there in our local communities. Something that many of us take for granted is having our own toothbrush yet we know that isn’t the case for all families. This scheme will help to reduce local hospital admissions whilst improving access to these essential items.”

Councillor Joe Hearnshaw, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, added, “It’s great to see another example of local schools working with us in partnership to support young people. We look forward to expanding this scheme to reach more children including those who may have additional needs – a group we know can struggle more in this area.”

Luton Town were beaten in the seventh straight away game as they were beaten 2-0 by Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park.

First half goals by Amario Cozier-Duberry and Owen Beck sealed a sixth straight Championship win for the Lancashire hosts, with Luton’s hopes of a comeback sunk by a second half red card for substitute Liam Walsh.

Defeat continues the Hatters’ case of travel sickness, with Rob Edwards’ side having collected just 4 points from their 10 away games in the second tier so far this campaign. They sit 19th in the Championship table, 5 points ahead of the relegation zone after 21 games.

Having come from behind to beat Stoke City in midweek, the Hatters had been hoping to push on and achieve back-to-back victories against one of the division’s form sides.

A quiet opening half hour saw little joy for either side, but it would be Blackburn that broke the deadlock shortly after the half-hour mark. A run by Makhtar Gueye wasn’t interrupted by a Luton defender, and the Senegalese striker picked out 19-year-old winger Cozier-Duberry, who create space for himself before his low shot beat former Blackburn keeper Thomas Kaminski.

Luton had come close to an equaliser with Aynsley Pears denied Elijah Adebayo and a Tahith Chong rebound, but the visitors would concede again eight minutes later.

Gueye was unable to connect with Joe Rankin-Costello’s cross, but the loose ball fell kindly for Beck, and the Liverpool loanee duly fired a first-time strike into the back of the net.

Things nearly got worse before the break for the visitors, with Kaminski denying Ramkin-Costello and Harry Pickering flicking the ball inches wide.

Luton would have chances in the second half. Captain Carlton Morris would see one header cleared off the line by Danny Batth and another shot just trickle wide of the mark.

But the Hatters’ comeback hopes were pretty much ended when substitute Walsh’s rash tackle on Yuki Ohashi gave him a straight red card and with it a dismissal.

The red was the second time this season that Walsh has been shown a red after coming on as a substitute, meaning he now faces a four game ban.

Kaminski had to make late saves to deny Blackburn rubbing further salt in the wounds, but it was a defeat for the Bedfordshire club.

Luton now have the busy Christmas period coming up, starting with a home match against Derby on Friday (20/12) before away trips to Bristol City and Swansea in their final games of 2024.

Northampton Town were left with no answer to Rotherham United’s charge after the Cobblers were beaten 3-0 by the Millers.

Two first half goals by Jonson Clarke-Harris and a second just after the break by Andre Green did the job for the Yorkshire-based club, as Northampton were unable to follow up their victory against Peterborough with another success.

The result sees Northampton slip to 19th position in the League One table, in a result that sees Rotherham climb above Northampton in the third tier table. The currently managerless Cobblers are now two points above the relegation zone, but have played a game more than the 5 teams below them in the table.

A Cobblers team still under the interim leadership of Ian Sampson had hoped to build on winning the Nene Valley Derby against rivals Peterborough, but hopes of making it back-to-back wins were hurt when they fell behind within three minutes.

Former Peterborough striker Clarke-Harris would grab an opener for the Millers, with the striker heading in Sam Nombe’s cross and an offside appeal by the away side ignored by the officials.

Clarke-Harris continued to provide a danger as he saw a similar header kept out by Nik Tzanev, before Dillon Phillips denied the Cobblers’ Jon Guthrie when he had a header on target in a chance for the visitors.

Rotherham would double their lead just after the half-hour mark, as space opened up for Green on the flank, and he duly squared for Clarke-Harris to plant home his and Rotherham’s second.

Cameron McGeehan and Mitch Pinnock would come close for Northampton to getting a goal back in the final stages of the first half, before Joe Powell fired a shot wide for Rotherham just after the break.

Northampton fell 3-0 down in the opening five minutes of the second half, as Green bundled the ball over the line when Rotherham’s corner wasn’t cleared.

The second half would largely play out in an an eventful run to the finish, with a Powell hit that struck the bar the closest either side came to adding to the scoreboard as Northampton left South Yorkshire with no points.

Northampton are next in action in the EFL Trophy away at rivals Peterborough on Tuesday, before they have their last game before Christmas next Saturday as they welcome Charlton to Sixfields.

MK Dons’ winning run in League Two was ended by a 1-0 home loss to Gillingham.

The Dons had won each of their previous six League Two outings, but a second half goal by Robbie McKenzie won the day for the visitors, who move to a point behind MK Dons thanks to their victory at Stadium MK.

Defeat was the Dons’ first loss in seven league games, and saw them drop out of the play-off spots, although they are just a place and a point outside the top seven and four behind the automatic promotion places ahead of the busy Christmas period.

Having seen a storm blow away their planned game against Barrow last weekend, MK Dons’ first match in a week and a half saw them return to Stadium MK looking to make it seven wins in a row in League Two.

Standing in their way were Gillingham, who were arriving in midtable after an up and down patch but started just four points behind Scott Lindsey’s side at kick-off.

An early chance fell the Dons’ way when an Aaron Nemane cross picked out Scott Hogan, whose mishit shot was gathered by Glenn Morris in the Gillingham goal.

The Dons had most of the possession in the early stages of the contest, but Gillingham’s low block was proving a barrier for the home side to try to break through.

Jack Nolan swung a shot off target with an opportunity that fell the away side’s way, before the Dons came closer as Morris denied a header by Alex Gilbey from Liam Kelly’s cross.

Two chances fell the home side’s way in quick succession, as Joe White saw a free-kick just clear the bar before Joe Pritchard nearly opened the scoring single-handedly. The Dons’ wing-back prized the ball off Harry Webster and charged into the box, only for his low shot to be kept out by Morris.

Pritchard would poke a shot wide with the final touch of the first half, while as the second began, the Dons had a few opportunities, as Hogan hit the side-netting with an effort before White saw a firm strike narrowly clear the top of the bar.

Having largely been second best, Gillingham then began to show more forward momentum as the game approached the hour, and an attack nearly paid off when Aaron Rowe had a shot blocked before Nolan’s effort had to be tipped wide by McGill.

MK Dons initially cleared the corner from that shot, but weren’t able to fully get rid of the ball and when Rowe fed McKenzie, the latter’s shot found the back of the net. It was a bad moment for McGill, however, given the shot had been straight at the Brighton loanee only to creep under the Canadian and end up in the back of the net.

Hogan headed wide moments after in a search for a quick equaliser, while Elliott Nevitt also missed the target with a shot for the visitors.

The home side threw on attackers in their search for an equaliser, but a low Gillingham block with a lead to defend proved to be a very challenging obstacle for MK Dons to try to break through.

This proved to be a pattern of the game between the Gillingham goal and the final stages, with the home side repeatedly running into cul-de-sacs and unable to make big chances for an equaliser.

One finally seemed to come their way in stoppage time, as Kelly’s ball into the box wasn’t fully intercepted by Morris, triggering a scramble with players of both sides lurking. But the ball was bundled out for a Gillingham goal-kick, and despite eight minutes of injury time, the Dons ran out of time and slipped to defeat – their first League Two defeat at Stadium MK since the opening day of the season.

MK Dons: McGill – Offord, Lawrence, Maguire (Carroll 81) – Nemane, Kelly, White, Pritchard (Hendry 65) – Wearne (Harrison 65), Hogan, Gilbey

Subs not used: MacGillivray, Lewington, Sherring, Thompson-Sommers

Gillingham: Morris – Webster (Hutton 59), Masterson, Ehmer, Clark – McKenzie, Coleman – Nolan (E. Williams 70), Rowe (Ogie 70), Clarke (Dack 81) – Nevitt (Andrews 81)

Subs not used: Turner, Andrews, J. Williams, Dack

Goal: McKenzie (59)

Booked: Rowe, Ehmer, McKenzie