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Everyone's favourite Bristol TV presenter Josie Gibson may make presenting This Morning look easy, but she says “being a parent is the hardest job in the world”.
Her only son, five-year-old Reggie, was in and out of hospital for two years, a period she describes as “terrifying”.
“Reggie was very sick when he was younger,” the 39-year-old reflects. “We were in and out of hospital for two years and eventually we discovered that he had fermenting gut disease because we were feeding him a bad diet.
“Everyone pampered him and gave him sweets.
“It was very scary at the time. I had a long-term bacterial infection. This shows that poor dental hygiene can lead to these types of infections.”
Reggie was put on a paleo diet for a while, recommended by doctors, to eliminate bacteria from his gut, and also had to miss school to get a filling placed in recent years.
Gibson says these experiences made her realize how important diet and good oral hygiene habits are to the health of our children.
The daytime presenter has teamed up with Boots on a new campaign called Brush with Boots, which launches on 29 August, to spread these important lessons across the nation.
“Being a parent is the hardest job in the world and no one looks down on anyone. [else] “It is very difficult,” says this mother of one child. “All parents have problems with their children’s dental hygiene.
“Brushing my little one’s teeth is a struggle, so I can understand how difficult it is, but you just have to set aside that time.”
The host 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 a little system where we try to sing Baby Shark or some other song throughout the process,” the TV host shares. “We also have a reward chart on the fridge and when he brushes his teeth he gets a nice sticker.”
She has also experienced first-hand the impact that clean, healthy teeth have on confidence.
“I couldn’t go on This Morning and present myself to the nation without good hygiene and good teeth. It’s so important,” Gibson says. “It makes you feel more confident when you’re around other people.”
However, she also understands how difficult it is for some families who, amid the cost of living crisis, cannot 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 past year.
It was also found that more than two-thirds (68%) of those living without basic toiletries feel embarrassed, and almost three in four (73%) feel uncomfortable.
“I was completely shocked by the statistics,” Gibson recalls. “When you choose to put dinner on a plate instead of hygiene products, the shame and embarrassment that comes with it is horrendous.
“But we want to say goodbye to that shame and that 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 return to school with healthy smiles,” Gibson added. “A healthy smile means they learn better, play better and interact better.”
Josie Gibson and Boots are calling for donations of dental hygiene products at The Hygiene Bank donation points, available in Boots stores nationwide.
