It’s that time of year again when dental professionals come together to support the great work of the Oral Health Foundation in raising awareness of oral health through their National Smile Month initiative. Held annually between mid-May and mid-June, this month-long awareness event aims to champion the benefits of good oral health and promote the value of a healthy smile. This year’s National Smile Month takes place between 13th May and 13th June and here is how you can use this time wisely to improve your own dental health.
Firstly, you can follow our top smile boosting tips to improve your own smile:
- Visit your dental practice regularly. Seeing your dentist every 6 months for a professional cleaning and checkup is essential for maintaining a healthy, bright smile.
- Limit staining foods and drinks. Avoid or minimise consumption of coffee, tea, red wine, and dark-coloured drinks, which can discolour your teeth over time.
- Quit smoking. Smoking stains the teeth and can lead to more serious oral health problems. Quitting can dramatically improve the appearance of your smile.
- Practise good oral hygiene. Brush twice a day for two minutes and floss, or use interdental brushes daily to remove plaque and prevent gum disease, which can affect the appearance of your smile.
- Consider cosmetic treatments. Procedures like veneers, bonding, and Invisalign can address issues like gaps, chips, and misalignment for a more uniform, attractive smile.
- Wear a mouthguard during sports. Protecting your teeth from injury can prevent chips, cracks, and other damage that can detract from your smile.
- Stay hydrated. Drinking plenty of water helps produce saliva, which naturally washes away food particles and neutralises the acid that can erode tooth enamel.
- Be confident in your smile. Feeling good about your smile can boost your self-esteem and make you more likely to share it with the world.
Help us spread a smile
The key to the success of National Smile Month is spreading the message, to help reach as many people as possible across a wide range of communities, some of which have a higher prevalence of oral health disease. Here are just a few ways that you can get involved in spreading positive messages about looking after your smile:
- Order a Smiley to take a smiley selfie and share it on social media and you could win tickets to a local comedy show.
- Download the Dental Buddy resources to help your children learn more about good oral health at home. You can also use these resources in the classroom!
- Create a dental checklist so you can stay on top of your oral health routine even during busy and stressful times.
- Join in the Great British Brushathon on 13th May and connect with people from all over the world in this communal brushing event.
- Get your children to enter the tooth fairy competition by creating a drawing or poem to show what they love about their smile. Entries are open to children aged up to 11 and the competition closes on 7th June.
For more details on National Smile Month or to find out more about the competitions and events above, please visit the Oral Health Foundation.
