National Smile Month 2018
A Reminder To Focus On Preventative Oral Hygiene
National Smile Month runs this year, between the 14th of May and the 14th of June.
It is a campaign that has been running for a long time and serves to remind us all about the importance of good oral health, and preventing problems with excellent daily oral hygiene.
It highlights three key messages which are:
● Brush your teeth twice a day using a fluoride toothpaste
● Consume less sugary food and drink
● Visit your St John’s Wood dentist regularly
The campaign puts a real focus on educating the public on oral health and really emphasising how important it is to have a healthy mouth. The reason the campaign is so popular is because it is fun, and there are always plenty of fun facts and figures about smiles to go around. With that in mind, we thought it would be interesting to provide you with 15 fun smile facts, in support of National Smile Month:
- Enamel is the hardest substance in your entire body! It is an extremely hard mineral, designed to last!
- Teeth are not bones, and instead are their own special category. They have similarities to bones, but they cannot heal or grow back.
- You can only see two thirds of your teeth, the rest are underneath your gums.
- Women smile more than men (apparently!)
- A baby begins to develop its teeth in the womb, although they remain hidden until the milk teeth emerge at the age of around 6 months old.
- Mosquitoes have double the amount of teeth as humans do!
- People used to brush their teeth with twigs, and some still do. Special tooth brushing twigs called miswaks are free from plastic, or pig bristle and are still available as alternative means of brushing the teeth, although most dentists don’t necessarily promote this form of tooth care.
- The Romans used to use their wee to rinse their mouth out!
- Rats teeth constantly grow.
- You will make enough saliva in your lifetime to fill two swimming pools.
- Science says smiling is contagious, as humans like to mimic the expressions of other humans. So if you smile, it could well spread to others around you.
- Smiling begins in the womb and is our very first expression as humans.
- Forcing a smile can actually cheer you up, as it helps generate chemicals in the body that make you feel happier.
- Smiling makes you more attractive, as various studies have shown that people prefer a smiling face.
- Smiling can help you get employed as employers are more likely to hire a smiling candidate than one who is frowning.
Keep Maintaining Your Smile With Regular Visits To Abbey Road Dental
Smile facts are fun, and pretty interesting too! However, to have something to smile about all year round, we all need to take heed of the key messages of National Smile Month and work hard to maintain oral health. Avoiding bad habits like excessive drinking and smoking, cutting down on sugar and acidic foods, brushing twice a day and visiting your NW8 dentist will help ensure you can smile all year round with healthy teeth and gums!
Preventative dental care is at the heart of Abbey Road Dental’s approach to dentistry, and we are here to ensure you have a healthy, happy smile during National Smile Month, and all year round. Please call us on 02076241603 and we will be delighted to book you an appointment at a time convenient to you.