What Is World Oral Health Day And Why Is it Important?

According to the NZ Ministry of Health, only about half of Kiwis see a dentist on a regular basis. We understand that monetary considerations can make oral care difficult, but that number would be 100% in a perfect world. While cost wasn’t the  reason for many people, others don’t fully understand the value of their oral health.

That’s where World Oral Health Day comes in. It’s an international educational event that aims to teach people the importance of good oral hygiene and the benefits of seeing a dentist regularly.

If this is the first you’re hearing about this oral health awareness holiday, we’re giving you the rundown below.

What Is World Oral Health Day? 

There are “day” or “week” holidays for everything it seems: Walk to Work Day, Random Acts of Kindness Day, National Clean Up Week, and Sleep Awareness Week. If all of those can be recognised, why shouldn’t something as crucial as Oral Health get its own day too? 

That’s what World Dental Federation member, Dr. Charles Gordon, thought when he first founded it in 2007. For the first few years, WOHD didn’t have much recognition. It wasn’t until 2013, when they changed the date to March 20th, that it began to get international recognition. 

Choosing the 20th was no coincidence. The date represents the idea that children are born with 20 teeth. At the other end of the spectrum, older adults should have 20 of their original teeth for good oral health. 

Finally, the date also represents that the average person should have 32 teeth and 0 cavities. Put those figures together, and you get 320, or 3/20. 

The holiday is always celebrated on the same day each year. 

What Does World Oral Health Day Include? 

Like any other educational holiday, WOHD is a worldwide campaign to encourage people to invest in their oral health. As a dental and oral health community, we do that by creating and disseminating educational content on and leading up to this day. 

You may see things like selfie competitions, hashtags, shareable infographics, and booths at health fairs, to name a few. Some dental clinics will run specials on or near this date to encourage people to come in. 

Schools and government officials may use this day to communicate the importance of oral health to their students/constituents. 

Oral health has wide-reaching impacts around the world, so don’t be surprised if you see other associations, like the American Cancer Society, joining in to spread the word. 

Why Is World Oral Health Day So Important?

World Oral Health Day is a marketing technique for good oral health practices. Most people don’t know how much damage bad oral health can do, and WOHD spreads the message about that. 

Bad oral hygiene and oral health diseases that go untreated can lead to cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. There is decades of research to back these claims up. 

This Year’s Campaign: Be Proud of Your Mouth 

In 2020, FDI announced one theme for WOHD 2021-2023: Be Proud of Your Mouth. The theme encourages people to take pride in their oral health, make it a priority, and do what it takes to have confidence in their smiles. 

World Oral Health Day Video 2022

FDI, the sponsoring organization, put out a cute one-minute cartoon video for this year’s celebration. The video starts by stating that how you feel about your mouth affects everything. It goes on to say that your mouth can impact your confidence, how you express yourself, and the kind of foods that are comfortable to eat. 

The second half of the video goes into general oral health tips, including proper teeth brushing length, tips for making your diet more oral-health friendly, and how often to see your dentist. View the video on YouTube.

It ends with a call to action to celebrate Oral Health Day and to Be Proud of Your Mouth, displaying the hashtags #mouthproud and #wohd2022. 

Free World Oral Health Day Resources 

The World Oral Health Day official website has a host of free resources you can download, print, or use online. These include:

• Posters.
• Social media content.
• Action tool kits.
• Videos.
• Fact sheets.
• Advertisements
• Branded material

You may see these resources around your school, your dentists’ office, or your primary care doctor’s clinic. Larger cities may have information about them on billboards or public transportation. Some TV shows, like talk shows, will host segments about it to do their part in educating the public. 

WOHD at Northmed Dental

At our clinic, it’s World Oral Health Day every day of the year. We never take time off from caring for your teeth and gums. It’s our goal to provide you with the best dental experience money can buy without costing an arm and a leg. 

We specialize in smile makeovers, offer Invisalign, and provide teeth whitening services. We even have doctors on staff who can do lip enhancements, dermal fillers, and wrinkle relaxers. 

We want to be your one-stop-shop for your oral health and smile confidence. But don’t just take our word for it! You can check out our case studies and video gallery to see proof of our work. 

All photos and videos are of Dr Salman’s patients, who happily gave their glowing testimony. They clearly are #mouthproud. Need to hear from more patients? You can find further reviews of our practice online. 

Our Commitment to World Oral Health Day and to You 

As a clinic, we promise to treat every day like it’s WOHD. We pledge to give you the best services, reasonable prices, and treat you with caring respect. 

We can’t wait to see you! Don’t forget to celebrate World Oral Health Day on the 20th of March, 2022.