Between May 15th – June 15th staff at Bancroft Dentistry will once again be wearing our smiley badges and posing for our ‘smiley selfies’ 😀 Yes, National Smile Month is here again!
Into its 41st year, the National Smile Month campaign, run by the Oral Health Foundation, continues to do great work around the UK and worldwide promoting good oral health!
With so many known links to other serious health problems, such as heart and liver disease, diabetes and strokes, the awareness raised is no less important now than it was when it first started.
For most of the UK’s population, social media is now pretty much inescapable. Whether your addiction is Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat (I’ll hold my hand up to that one!), or something else, the selfie is now just another part of life! But with so many ‘perfect smiles’ in our constant periphery, it is not surprising that nearly half of the population are unhappy with their teeth.
But the good news is that, thanks to better education, constant advances in dental techniques, improved toothbrushes and oral hygiene aids, our smiles may be improving!
For instance, only 6% of adults now have no natural teeth at all. Whereas in 1978, the figure was as high as 37%… Definitely a reason to smile!
Having said that, there is still a long way to go and National Smile Month is continuing to raise awareness and support for those who need it most.
Charles Darwin was one of the first people to look into the science behind smiling. He noted the difference between smiling and laughing, as well as the fact that a smile can cross barriers that other types of communication cannot. Even different forms of smiles to show different feelings can be understood much more widely than other gestures.
Can you identify the emotions behind the different smiles?!
Smiling is also not just a simple facial expression, it has been proven to have hormonal and psychological benefits too. Simply put… smiling makes us, and others around us, feel better!
It really is a powerful tool the world over and is arguably the easiest and nicest thing that we can share with others. Not to mention that it’s free!!
National Smile Month really focuses on encouraging preventative care to ensure your mouth is as healthy as possible. As the old saying goes, ‘prevention is better than cure’ and that is certainly everyone’s preference when dentistry is involved.
Therefore, National Smile Month’s key messages remain the same:
Do you like your smile? If not, why not? How can we help you improve your smile? Do you know the best way to take care of your smile?
Dentists, especially those of the past, have a reputation as being the type of person who enjoys inflicting pain. Hopefully nowadays, less people see things that way, because in reality dentists just want to help you to smile better, wider and more often!
To see how we can help improve your smile, please phone 01462 451167. Our lovely reception duo, Nicola and Sue, are ready and waiting for your call…
To find out more about National Smile Month and the work they are doing, please click here.
Regards,
Jo
Dental Nurse
