Use National Smile Month to promote the oral health
It’s organised by the Oral Health Foundation and National Smile Month’s primary aim is to improve the UK’s oral health. This year marks a landmark as the campaign turns 40.
National Smile Month promotes three fundamental messages, which although may seem obvious, if followed regularly could help all your employees develop and maintain a healthy mouth:
- Brush your teeth last thing at night and on at least one other occasion with a fluoride toothpaste
- Cut down on how often you have sugary foods and drinks
- Visit your dentist regularly, as often as they recommend
If you currently offer dental benefits to your employees, or whether you are thinking of introducing them in your company, you can help maintain and increase engagement with the benefit by embracing oral health campaigns like National Smile month and use the messages to promote the importance of maintaining good oral health.
Communicate the benefits
Your provider should be able to work with you on a tailored communications plan to promote oral and overall health and wellbeing to your employees. This should include activity around oral health campaigns such as National Smile Month.
For example, you could display oral health posters around the building or organise a desk drop for employees which tap into these key messages. These should help employees understand the benefits of a dental plan and explain why it’s important to visit the dentist regularly in order to keep their teeth and gums healthy. You can also use all your employee internal communication channels to help get the oral health message across.
As part of National Smile Month, Denplan has produced a new Smileguide. This contains oral health tips, advice and offers. It has articles on the links between dental care and overall health, and advice on healthy and unhealthy snacks – especially those that are sugar laden.
Explaining the dangers
For example, are your staff aware that every time they eat sugary foods or drinks, the bacteria in their mouths produce acids that attack teeth that their saliva takes an hour to neutralise. Constant snacking means that teeth won’t recover from these attacks and enamel can weaken over time.
There are also articles on the silent risk of gum disease and advice on what to do in a dental emergency – whether you are home or abroad.
Anything that champions good oral health and encourages people to take greater responsibility for looking after their oral health in our view is a worthy cause and we would encourage everyone to get behind this year’s 40th National Smile Month – so get ready to smile this month!
Video: the links between oral health and general health
This article was provided by Denplan.
In partnership with Simplyhealth
Our health plans make it easy for people to maintain their health&wellbeing.
