Make a National Smile Month display for your practice

Every year we are blown away by the displays made and put up in local communities. Why not challenge yourself and make your own?

Here are some things you can do:

• Explain how diet and oral health are linked.

• Show people how much sugar is in their favourite drinks and the damage this could be doing to their mouths.

• Have plaque disclosing tablets on hand to show people spots they might be missing when they brush.

• Test people’s brushing techniques with educational models.

You can find lots of things for your display such as smileys, posters and models in our online shop here.

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Host a lunch and learn for a local business

These are a great way to get information from professionals first-hand to the local community.

There are lots of challenges in the wider community with diet and oral health - from overeating and snacking in offices to junk food on-the-go lunches for logistics and lorry drivers - so there are loads of opportunities to educate the public on the role of diet in oral health.

Here are a few examples of topics you could host a lunch and learn on:

• Why chewing sugar-free chewing gum after meals can help your oral health.

• The importance of a good brushing technique.

• The effect that caffeinated drinks like tea, coffee, and energy drinks are having on your teeth.

• The benefits of cleaning between your teeth.

• How to make smarter food choices for your mouth.

• The effects of hidden sugars. You can purchase our sugar kits here.

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Organise a toothbrush exchange

So many of us don’t change our toothbrush or toothbrush heads as often as we should.

This National Smile Month activity is designed to encourage your patients to bring in their old toothbrush to your event and walk away with a brand new one.

Here is how to get started:

• Browse our online shop for toothbrushes and brushing kits.

• Advertise your exchange in your workplace and on social media using our templates.

• Collect old toothbrushes and offer patients new ones.

• See if you can recycle the old toothbrushes you receive.

This can also be a great activity for schools and children’s clubs too.

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Organise an educational visit to a local school

School visits can be simple and effective. Resources are available to educate children on the basic messages all the way up to some of the more detailed ways in which they can improve their oral health.

Why not give it a try?

Next steps

• Contact your local school/s and propose a visit from your dental practice during National Smile Month.

• Decide on the date and whether you are visiting for simply one lesson, or a whole morning or afternoon.

• Finalise what you are going to do. We have some great ideas below to get you started.

• Choose who will visit the school and run the lessons, making sure their practice diary is blocked out for that period.

Things you can do in the classroom

• Educational talks.

• Question and answer session.

• Brushing demonstrations.

• Quizzes.

• Colouring activities and wordsearches.

You can buy a range of resources perfect for school visits in our online shop.

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