National Smile Month 2024 was launched with a grand event at the Foundling Museum, celebrating oral health and wellbeing. The campaign, themed ‘Love Your Smile,’ aims to inspire individuals to prioritize their oral health and foster positive habits for healthier smiles and happier lives.
Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the Oral Health Foundation, addressed the attendees at the event. He emphasized the significance of National Smile Month as a tool to transform oral health habits. “This is the 48th National Smile Month, making it one of the longest-running oral health campaigns in the world. But it’s more than just a few weeks of dental awareness – it’s a movement," said Dr Carter. "Our aim is to promote good oral hygiene, raise awareness about the importance of healthy teeth and gums, and inspire positive habits that last a lifetime."
Dr Carter continued by expressing his gratitude towards sponsors such as LISTERINE, Wrigley Oral Healthcare Programme (WOHP), Oral-B, Boots, EMS, and the British Society of Dental Hygiene and Therapy for their invaluable support in advancing oral health education initiatives.
Following Dr Carter's address was Georgios Tsakos, Professor of Dental Public Health at University College London and trustee of the Oral Health Foundation. He urged attendees to consider becoming trustees themselves while emphasizing their critical role in guiding the charity’s strategic direction.
The event also featured speeches from Dr Ben Atkins on behalf of WOHP and representatives from NHS Whittington Health Trust. They highlighted key statistics from WOHP’s latest Oral Health Index and stressed preventive measures in oral healthcare.
The NHS Whittington Health Trust concluded the event by sharing their use of National Smile Month as a driving force for community engagement initiatives focused on promoting oral health education and awareness.
National Smile Month 2024 will run until June 13 with support from thousands of organizations across various sectors including dentistry, health, education, and nutrition.
“In closing, let me say this: Keep smiling, let’s keep working together to improve oral health, and let’s make National Smile Month 2024 a resounding success,” concluded Dr Carter.
For more information about National Smile Month and how to support the campaign, visit www.smilemonth.org.
