It’s October – Let’s Celebrate National Dental Hygiene Month!
In the midst of all of the imminent Halloween hoopla, you might’ve “forgotten” that October is also home to National Dental Hygiene Month. The good news is, we’re here to educate you about what you can do to promote your dental hygiene throughout a month (minimum) of candy craziness, and beyond.
Check out these oral health tips for how to honor and celebrate National Dental Hygiene Month:
- Floss Daily: Because there are some things that brushing just cannot take care of as easily or as well, it’s important that you do your best to floss daily. For more information about how to floss successfully, check out our post on flossing tips.
- Brush Twice Daily: To make your mark on National Dental Hygiene Month, remember to brush twice a day for two minutes during each brushing. This will not only help you to start your day off by battling morning breath, but it also reduces your chances of developing gum disease. Don’t worry, we can help you brush up on your brushing technique.
- Make Mouthwash Your Friend: Mouthwash completes the trifecta. When you make rinsing a regular part of your oral hygiene routine, you not only keep your mouth clean, but also freshen your breath!
HDG: On our website, we have an area dedicated to Patient Education. We believe that if you’re equipped with knowledge about your own oral hygiene, then you can become more of an active participant in your own care. After all, you deserve to understand what we’re doing, how we’re doing it, and why we’re doing it. On our educational resource page, you’ll find a series of informational videos intended to outline some of the more common dental services that we provide. This includes, but is not limited to, content about: manual vs. electric toothbrush use, proper brushing technique, proper flossing technique, filling vs. a crown, root canal treatment, bridges vs. implants, temporomandibular joint disorder & more.
ADHA: National Dental Hygiene Month was established by the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) in 2009. The ADHA, founded in 1923, is the largest national organization representing the professional interests of dental hygienists. NDHM was created to provide a dedicated time each year to highlight the critical role dental hygienists play in maintaining oral health and to promote the importance of regular dental hygiene practices to the public.
Remember, your mouth is a window into the health of your body. It acts as the entry point to your digestive and respiratory tracts, and some bacteria that live in your mouth can cause disease if not properly addressed. The body’s natural defenses and good oral health care, such as daily brushing and flossing, work to keep bacteria under control but this often depends on our own habits. Now is as good a time as any to make a personal pledge to yourself about the future of your dental hygiene, so join us as we begin a month-long celebration of National Dental Hygiene Month through October (and really through forever)!
