National Smile Month begins today – how are you getting involved?

You’ve probably heard of National Smile Month, even if you’ve never participated before. Organised by the Oral Health Foundation, it’s one of the UK’s largest annual charity campaigns focusing on the benefits of good oral health, and the value of a healthy smile.

This year, National Smile Month runs across a four-week period from the 17th of May all the way through until the 17th of June, bringing fantastic opportunities to improve not just your own dental health, but also to engage with your wider community and focus on shared goals. (As a dental clinic strongly involved with our own local community, those are ideals we can get behind here at AP Smilecare!) So, let’s give you the lowdown on what it’s all about.

What are the key tenets of National Smile Month?

National Smile Month has four key messages for the UK in 2021, and they’re all pretty simple!

• Brush your teeth for at least two minutes – once last thing at night, and one other time during the day
• Clean between your teeth every day, either with dental floss or with interdental brushes
• Cut down on the quantity and frequency in which you consume sugar foods and drinks – and don’t forget that some foods can be more sugary than you think!
• Visit a dentist regularly

All this is vital not just for looking after your oral health, but your general health as well. Lots of people often forget how closely the two are linked – numerous studies have associated poor oral health with more pressing general health issues like diabetes, heart disease, strokes, pneumonia, premature births, and more problems besides. (If you’d like more information, don’t hesitate to check out this post we wrote on the subject!)

How can you get involved in National Smile Month?

National Smile Month is just that – a national initiative. That means it places a heavy focus on engaging with and supporting people in your local community, especially some of the most vulnerable members of our society. One of the easiest ways to do this is by purchasing a special Smile Campaign Pack from the official website, which contains posters, sugar-free sweets, toothbrushes, and other cool little goodies you can use to inform, educate, and have fun!

Plus, this year there’s also the Great British Brushathon, which is due to take place on social media. Essentially, all you need to do is take a selfie while brushing your teeth, encouraging others to do the same – if you’re lucky and you use the hashtag #GreatBritishBrushathon, maybe you’ll even get a shoutout from the Oral Health Foundation! What’s more, there’s also a wide variety of other activities that you can get involved in too – just take a look at the site!

And of course, we’re getting involved on our own social media accounts here at AP Smilecare. Looking after healthy smiles is our passion, which is why we take care to offer a wide range of dental treatments here at our Blackburn dental clinic, such as teeth whitening, gum health, and smile makeover services. For more information or to book an appointment, feel free to give us a call on 01254 270 000.