DENTAL nurses who treat pupils in West Dunbartonshire schools have now gone green while carrying out their duties.

The Childsmile teams travel around schools and nurseries but are now doing it with a new fleet of electric vans.

Last year, 46,000 fluoride-varnish applications were provided to children across the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area.

The teams have taken ownership of all-electric vans, which is allowing them to transport their mobile dental equipment from school to school.

Tom Ferris, the Scottish Government’s interim chief dental officer, met with some of the Childsmile team and senior managers when the vans were launched.

He said: “Not only are these new electric vans great for the staff using them and the children they are visiting, but environmentally they have the benefit of being C02 emission free.”

Susan Frew, interim clinical service manager for primary care dental services added: “Some of our staff seemed a bit anxious about driving these new electric vans at first.

“I think they were worried about running out of charge. However, following an awareness training session their minds have been put at ease and they are now whizzing across Clydebank, Dumbarton and Alexandria.

“We’ve also thought about safety and have had an engine noise ‘added’ to the vans to make them sound like normal vans that the children will hear.”

Electric vehicles have become more and more popular in recent years as governments offer grants to drivers to switch from petrol engine cars.

By 2035, it is predicted that up to 50 per cent of all vehicles on UK roads could be electric.