Public - What can you do?
Crack a smile

By now you should have registered for your Smileys. If you haven’t take a quick minute out to fill out your details in our registration form. Now you’re armed with the symbol of the campaign, here’s what you can do to get the most out of this year’s National Smile Month.

Our first tip is this (and you’ll find it works great with the Smileys). KISS! Keep it simple and smile!

There are 1,440 minutes in the day. So when you put it like that, four minutes out of your day to brush your teeth doesn’t sound like too much to ask for! Around one in four adults skip brushing their teeth at least once a day, and the average time spent brushing is JUST 45 seconds!!! During the campaign take four minutes out of your day – two as soon as you wake up in the morning and two before you go to bed – to start improving your oral health. Once you do there's no excuse not to keep it up once the campaign has finished!

As you already know, one of National Smile Month’s key messages is cut down on how often you have sugary foods and drinks. If your sweet tooth takes over once too often throughout the month, why not try a healthy alternative? It’s only for a month, and cutting down on how often you have sugary treats could really help your teeth! Cheese, breadsticks, nuts and raw vegetables are great alternatives for teeth.

The dental team are the only people with the ability to keep your oral health on the right track. Taking their recommendation on how often you visit is important in ensuring your oral health doesn’t deteriorate beyond repair. If you haven’t been for a while – and be honest with yourself – then the campaign is the perfect time to make an appointment. You never know, your dentist might even be taking part in the campaign too!

Is there anything worse than being stood next to a smoker after they’ve had a cigarette? It’s not cool, and smoking is really bad for oral health. It can cause gum disease, tooth decay, and it happens to be the largest contributing risk factor behind mouth cancer. That makes National Smile Month an excellent opportunity to kick the habit. Why not pop the money you save on cigarettes in a jar? You’ll be surprised just how much you have saved.