National Smile Month 2024

26th April 2024

National Smile Month 2024

Monday, May 13, 2024 – Thursday, Jun 13, 2024 marks National Smile Month. The Oral Health Improvement Team want to remind

everyone how important it is to look after your smile.

  • By keeping our teeth and gums healthy we are more likely to reduce our risk of certain cancers, particularly in women, as well as some forms of dementia.
  • The number of teeth we have is a strongly linked to how long we will live – those with 20 teeth or more at the age of 70 years have a considerably higher chance of living longer than those with less than 20 teeth.
  • Gum disease can potentially increase the risk of heart attack, stroke and

diabetes.

  • Pregnant women with healthy gums may be less likely tohave pre-eclampsia, a baby that is premature or an underweight baby.

For more information on this, visit the Oral Health Foundation https://www.dentalhealth.org/

For more information on the Oral Health Improvement Team Oral Health Improvement (sharepoint.com)

For further information check out:

Health Improvement | B Well Belfast (hscni.net)

Here are some tips on how to keep your smile healthy:

  1. Brush last thing at night, and one other time throughout the day with a fluoride toothpaste
  2. When brushing, spit out the excess toothpaste and do NOT rinse with water.

3. Have sugary foods and drinks less often.

4.  Visit the dentist every 6 months