National Smile Month runs from 18 May. See the article below from Rachel about how dentists and the teams can help everyone to keep good oral health during these challenging times.
You may feel that there has not been much to smile about during this unprecedented time for the dental profession, but all is not lost. Although you are not able to physically see patients, you can still help them, and build your business at the same time.
National Smile Month is a great time to take to social media and get creative, with this in mind, let’s remind ourselves of the National Smile Month’s key messages;
• Brush your teeth for two minutes, last thing at night and at one other time during the day, with a fluoride toothpaste
• Use mouthwash and clean between your teeth with interdental brushes or floss every day
• Cut down on how much sugar you have, and how often you have
How will you relay these important messages to your patients without seeing them at the clinic? Don’t forget there are many people with more time on their hands to look at your Facebook/Instagram/website page at the moment. Many parents are able to spend more time showing their children how to look after their teeth.
Let’s have a look at some sad facts that have prompted the key messages;
• 39% of adults don’t regularly go to a Dentist
• On average 3 school days are missed per year due to dental problems
• 66% of adults have visible plaque
• 25% of adults do not brush their teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste
• 31% of adults have tooth decay
• 74% of adults have had a tooth extracted
• 33% of adults have never flossed cleaned interdentally
• There are over 8,300 new cases of mouth cancer each year
• Over three million suffer from regular oral pain
Have a think about what you could do to help this situation. What could you do on your social media? Maybe put up a chart showing how much sugar is in certain foods and drinks – some parents will be shocked! How about some tips on how to encourage young children to brush their teeth? The possibilities are endless.
The Oral Health Foundation have put together some social media posts, posters and digital guides to get you started, which can be found here http://www.nationalsmilemonth.org/downloads/
National Smile Month this year runs from 18th May-18th June