National Dental Hygiene Month

When we think of the month of October, most of us automatically think of Breast Cancer Awareness. However, did you know that October is also National Dental Hygiene Month? This October, the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) and the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company are partnering to raise public awareness about good oral health. The Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company is the maker of Orbit sugar free gum. This is the fifth consecutive year that they have partnered with the ADHA to sponsor National Dental Hygiene Awareness Month.

This national campaign focuses on four different components of good oral hygiene: brushing teeth twice daily, flossing teeth daily, rinsing with mouthwash and chewing sugar-free gum. The 2014 National Dental Hygiene Month kicked off with a national radio media tour highlighting the importance of proper dental hygiene. This media tour featured the current ADHA President, Kelli Swanson Jaecks, MA, RDH. The Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company Foundation is also partnering with the ADHA Institute for Oral Health (IOH) to offer community service grants of $2,500 or $5,000 to applicants who are interested in projects intended to improve their community’s oral health. They are also running contests on Facebook and other social media sites.

You can participate in this awareness campaign by visiting your dentist and examining your own oral hygiene and the oral hygiene of those in your family. If you would like to get more information about oral health, you can visit the ADHA website at www.ADHA.org and click on the Resources tab.