It’s National Smile Month!

National Smile Month, organised by the Oral Health Foundation, is the UK’s largest and longest-running campaign to promote good oral health. The ultimate aim of the campaign is to improve the UK’s oral health through the promotion of 3 key messages:

1. Brush your teeth last thing at night and on at least one other occasion with a fluoride toothpaste. It is advised to brush your teeth for at least 2 minutes with a soft, small-headed toothbrush to help keep your teeth and mouth healthy. Why not give our Oralieve Ultra Mild Toothpaste and Wisdom Toothbrush combination pack a go! Oralieve Ultra Mild Toothpaste contains 1450 ppm fluoride to help strengthen enamel.

2. Cut down on how often you have sugary foods and drinks. We don’t always realise how much sugar is in our some of our favourite drinks, see the below table for some shocking sugar statistics:¹

Product	Amount per 100g	Sugar content in teaspoons
Blackcurrant	9.7 g in concentrate	1.23 tsp
Cranberry Juice	11.6 g	7.25 tsp
Coca Cola	10.6 g	6.63 tsp
Lemonade	3.5 g	2.2 tsp
Lucozade Sport	3.5 g	4.38 tsp
Orange Squash	13 g in concentrate	1.63 tsp

The Be Food Smart app from Change4Life can help you check the sugar content of your diet.

To help limit tooth decay associated with sugary drinks, why not switch to water or sugar-free options - a more tooth-friendly option. If you suffer from dry mouth you are more at risk of tooth decay. Make sure you are careful to choose sugar-free sweets or gum.

3. Visit your dentist regularly and as often as they recommend. Even though your teeth may feel clean it’s always good to get a professional check-up at least 2 times a year. Leaving potential oral problems untreated/unchecked could make them more difficult to treat in the future emphasising the importance of getting regular dental check-ups.

For more information about National Smile Month and how you can get involved, visit http://www.nationalsmilemonth.org/

Reference: 1. How much sugar is in your foods and drinks? Oral Health Foundation. Available from www.nationalsmilemonth.org. Accessed on 15/05/18.