National Smile Month is about doing what we can to improve the oral health of ourselves and our family.  It is also about a making a difference to others for who a healthy smile is harder to achieve.  A really important part of National Smile Month is reaching out to some of the most vulnerable people in the UK.  To help give them the smile they deserve.

 

3 The amount of school days on average that are missed yearly due to dental problems.

39% Almost two in five (39%) of adults that don't go to the dentist regularly.

66% Two in three (66%) of adults have visible plaque.

25% One in four (25%) adults do not brush twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste.

31% Almost one in three (31%) of adults have tooth decay.

74% Around three in four (74%) of adults have had a tooth extracted.

33% One in three (33%) of adults have never flossed or cleaned interdentally.

60 million 60 million Brits do not have fluoridated water.

40miles Two million Brits have to travel at least 40 miles to access dental care.

8337 There are over 8,300 new cases of mouth cancer each year.

3 million Over three million suffer from regular oral pain.

6 million In Britain there are around six million people who smoke cigarettes.

As you can see, there is a lot more work to do when it comes to oral health in the UK.

We believe that there should be no barriers to having a healthy mouth. Regardless of age, gender, ethnicity or socio-economic status, everyone should have access to both the information and services needed to properly look after their oral health. This is where National Smile Month comes in.

Through National Smile Month we aim to spread vital information about how people can have a healthier smile. We encourage parents to get children involved too so that the next generation can grow up understanding the benefits that a healthy mouth brings.

However, we cannot spread this vital information and awareness without your support.

Over the last year the Oral Health Foundation has invested more than £1 million on improving oral health education and awareness. A lot, but not all, of this work was provided thanks to the support of campaigns like National Smile Month.

Whilst we understand times may be hard, any money you can spare to help us spread healthier smiles up and down the country would be greatly appreciated.

A donation of £10 will help cover the costs of a call to our Dental Helpline where people can speak to a professionally trained dental advisor and get much needed advice and support. A donation of £20 lets us provide mouth cancer information and raise awareness so that we can increase early diagnosis and reduce the number of lives lost to the disease. And finally, a donation of £50 means we can provide vital dental packs to a whole nursery school, allowing children to take control of their own oral health from an early age.

Every single penny we raise will go towards helping somebody else to achieve better oral health.

You can also check out some great fundraising ideas, all of which you can do while socially distancing.

Or, why not download some of our social media cards and help spread our key oral health messages on your social media. Don’t forget to also tag in @SmileMonth and use the campaign hashtag #SmileMonth.

No matter how you choose to get involved and however much you donate, it is all greatly and warmly appreciated.

Thank you for supporting National Smile Month, together we can improve oral health.