World Oral Health Day (WOHD) is celebrated globally every year on March 20 to raise awareness of the importance of oral health for a healthy body. This year’s campaign theme ‘Live Mouth Smart’ empowers people to take control of their oral health – throughout life – so they can enjoy a healthy, functional mouth from childhood into old age.
Oral disease can impact every aspect of your life from personal relationships and self-con dence to school, work or even enjoying your food. It can also potentially lead to social isolation where you may avoid laughing or smiling and interacting with others as you feel embarrassed about your teeth and people’s perception of your oral health.
How to ‘Live Mouth Smart’?
‘Live Mouth Smart’ conveys the message that by making smart decisions such as adopting good oral hygiene habits, avoiding risk factors and having a regular dental check-up, they can help prevent oral disease.
There are many ways you can ‘Live Mouth Smart’:
- Adopt good oral hygiene habits from early in life and have regular dental check-ups. This helps you maintain optimal oral health into old age and ensures you live not only a longer life, but also one free from the physical pain and often emotional suffering caused by oral disease.
- Safeguard your oral health – which has a positive impact on your general health and well-being, helping you live a better quality of life into old age.
- Avoid risk factors such as tobacco, harmful use of alcohol and unhealthy diets – especially those rich in sugar – which helps protect your oral health and prevent other conditions such as heart disease and stroke, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes.
- Understand good oral health is much more than a nice smile and oral disease can impact every aspect of your life – including your ability to perform basic functions.
Source: worldoralhealthday.org
