National Smile Month 2019 – why good oral health is so important

This year, National Smile Month 2019 takes place between 13 May and 13 June and is a long standing campaign to promote good oral health. The campaign highlights three key messages to encourage us all to maintain healthy teeth and gums:

• Cut down on sugary food and drink;
• Brush your teeth last thing at night and on at least one other occasion with a fluoride toothpaste;
• Visit your dentist regularly, as often as is recommended.

Since its establishment 40 years ago, National Smile Month has organised thousands of projects and events, including talks, fun days and open sessions. Organisers work closely with a team at the British Dental Health Foundation, meaning that health professionals and health educators collaborate to achieve their goal of delivering oral health education, particularly in disadvantaged communities and regions of known poor oral health.

How you can get involved?

Two minute challenge – a competition that workplaces, schools and community groups can get involved with and test who can brush their teeth closest to two minutes without the aid of a clock or watch. Two minutes of brushing, twice a day is the recommended tooth brushing time to help maintain good oral hygiene. Lots of research suggests that we aren’t brushing our teeth for long enough and the Oral Health Foundation, a world leading independent oral health charity have provided research that shows that adults brushing their teeth for what they believe is two minutes, is actually only 54 seconds!

Engagement between dental professional and schools – the charity has lots of initiatives this months to encourage engagement between dental professionals and children to help deliver oral health education and engage children in the importance of good oral health. The website dedicated to this campaign details all of the way in which you can get involved in the initiatives this month:

http://www.nationalsmilemonth.org/