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Frontpage Headline from The Guardian on May 11th 2026
Was there anything really important in the news on May 11th 2026?
Yes — and it had nothing to do with politics. The front page headline of The Guardian asked the question we all want to answer: Yes, oral hygiene can save your life!
Oral hygiene is healthcare, and hygienists need to be empowered to deliver it.
The media is now leading where policymakers should: raising awareness that prevention is the solution, not more emergency treatment.
It’s dental hygienists and dental therapists who have capacity to lead here. They are the gateway to better dental care and their full expertise needs to be used. If policy focus shifts toward prevention, training places and incentives for these professionals will rise.
Right now, the UK trains roughly 300 dental hygienists per year. About the same as the much smaller Netherlands. It’s time to recognise that oral health is not cosmetic. It’s healthcare — and prevention saves lives.
