The price cuts come after a survey revealed 23.7% of five-year-old children in England experienced of tooth decay. Credit: Edy Kasim via Shutterstock.

Tesco is reducing the price of its children’s Pro Formula Steps range by 20% to help fight against kids’ tooth decay.

The supermarket will cover the VAT on seven lines of the range, including toothbrushes, toothpaste and mouthwash. This move aims to make the products more affordable for families struggling with the cost of living crisis.

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The following products from the range will be reduced from £1 ($1.23) to 80p ($0.98): Pro Formula Big Steps Cool Mint Toothpaste 6+ 75ml, Pro Formula Little Steps Mild Mint Toothpaste 3-5 75ml, Pro Formula Baby Steps Gently/Gentle Mint Toothpaste 0-2 75ml, Pro Formula Big Steps Toothbrush 6+, Pro Formula Little Steps Toothbrush 3-5, Pro Formula Baby Steps Toothbrush 0-2 Years and Pro Formula Big Steps Cool Mint Mouthwash 6+ 300ml.

Kids’ oral healthcare the latest addition to Tesco’s VAT coverage

Tesco has covered VAT on sunscreen since 2021 and started covering the VAT of its F&F range of period underwear in August 2023. It also claims to be the first retailer to cover the cost of VAT on tampons in 2017.

Survey addresses the cost of living crisis factor in kids’ tooth decay

Tesco’s price cuts come off the back of results from a survey by the National Dental Epidemiology Programme survey. The survey, which looked at five-year-old children in England in 2022, showed that 23.7% had experienced tooth decay.

It also highlighted a distinct gap in the prevalence and severity of dentinal decay in children by location. Children living in England’s most deprived areas were almost three times (35.1%) more prone to experiencing tooth decay than children living in the least deprived areas (13.5%).

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Through covering the VAT, Tesco aims to make children’s oral healthcare products more accessible to struggling families in order to inhibit the experience of dentinal decay.

Is the oral health gap set to worsen?

In April 2023, the British Dental Association (BDA) disputed claims that NHS dentistry was on the road to recovery and said the lack of access to NHS dentistry could widen the UK’s oral health gap further.

BDA chair Eddie Crouch said: “Kids in our most deprived communities will be hit the hardest while government sits on the sidelines.”