18 March 2022
World Oral Health Day 20 March
World Oral Health Day on 20 March, encourages people to value and protect their oral health. The ‘Be Proud of Your Mouth’ theme focuses on creating a strong link between a healthy mouth, wellbeing and happiness.
Everyone can get involved by sharing messages on social media and using posters and fact sheets. Dental practices can get creative by organising their own activities to get staff and patients involved. Visit worldoralhealthday.org to download the campaign resources.
The Australian Dental Association (ADA)'s teeth.org.au website is another great place to find information, resources, short videos and podcasts on everything oral health related.
Oral health report cards
The ADA has created report cards based on consumer survey data with recommendations on how to improve oral health awareness. The report cards show that:
- One in four children drink fruit juice every day
- 84% of parents are aware that sugary drinks can cause tooth decay
- One in four children damaged their teeth playing sport and 69% of mouthguards purchased were store-bought
- One in three children’s first dental visit was for pain or a problem, with most parents believing that the first dental visit should happen at two years or older
- One in five adults have whitened their teeth, with DIY kits bought online or from a supermarket or pharmacy the most common method.
While there were improvements in some areas over time, these results show that there is more to be done to improve oral health in Australian adults and children.
Healthy diet for a healthy mouth
An important part of maintaining good oral health is diet. Avoiding processed food and drinks high in sugar can help prevent tooth decay and other health problems. Many packaged food and drinks carry a Health Star Rating (HSR) to help consumers make healthier choices at a quick glance. This new consumer fact sheet explains some changes to the HSR, how the ratings are calculated and what to look for when using the HSR to compare products.
Helpful links
