World Oral Health Day 2019

World Oral Health Day began in 2013, set up by the FDI World Dental Federation.  It is now observed annually on 20th March.  This date was chosen to reflect several factors for good oral hygiene; seniors must have a total of 20 natural teeth at the end of their life to be classed as healthy, children should have 20 baby teeth and healthy adults should have 32 teeth and 0 dental cavities.  The latter could be expressed as 3/20, so 20th March (3rd month) was chosen accordingly.

It’s never too late to start making changes to the way we protect our oral health.  There are numerous steps you can take which will have a positive effect such as; stopping smoking, drinking less, having a healthier, low-sugar diet and visiting your dentist regularly (if you aren’t already, at least get yourself on the waiting list for a dentist.  If it’s a long wait, so be it, it’s one of the most important things you can do!).

It’s said that 90% of us, worldwide, will contract some form of oral disease in our lifetime, most of which could be easily avoidable.  By spreading awareness and informing the public of the simple preventative measures we can take ourselves, that statistic could be quite easily and drastically reduced.

Each year, campaigns are undertaken by National Dental Associations throughout the world, in over 130 countries.  This year’s theme is; Say Ahh: Act on Mouth Health – globally, millions of people suffer from poor mouth health and this can potentially bring with it a host of other problems to your overall health and well-being.  With that in mind, this year is all about action.  If the information is out there to help us take care of our own oral hygiene, we can protect ourselves against disease.  Preventative care is always best but detecting any early warning signs and receiving the necessary treatment is also vital to protect against oral diseases.  So we should take action – clean our teeth after meals, visit the dentist and eat healthy.  If we all take the right action and, also, share our knowledge and experiences, the impact it can have on a global scale can be phenomenal.

Get involved and join in the conversation on social media using #WOHD19 and #SayAhh – and let’s be happy, smiling pillars of health!

Find out more about World Oral Health Day, here

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