World Oral Health Day is just around the corner, and we couldn’t be more pleased to unite to empower people with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to secure good oral health, which affects individuals, health systems, and economies everywhere.
20 March marks World Oral Health Day, the largest global awareness campaign on oral health. The FDI World Dental Federation is celebrating the event by highlighting the theme “A Happy Mouth is… A Happy Mind,” which highlights how a happy mouth contributes to a happy mind.
The FDI has recognised that oral health is multifaceted and involves the ability to smell, touch, taste, chew, swallow, smile, and speak. It conveys various emotions through facial expressions confidently and without discomfort, pain, or disease in the craniofacial region.
Likewise, several studies have highlighted the complex relationship between mental health and oral health. Various oral health problems are associated with mental health. Mental stress (allostatic load) can increase total saliva and change saliva characteristics (i.e., protein concentration, cortisol levels, pH, etc. (Barranca-Enríquez, Romo-González, 2022).
This is of great importance, since salivary proteins support the ecology of the oral cavity, increase the defensive mechanisms in the mouth, and determine the chemical and physical properties of saliva (such as viscosity and lubrication), in addition to having special functions not only for the health of the oral cavity but also for microorganisms, including nutrition, survival and colonization as well as for the adhesion and aggregation of microorganisms; and at the same time fluoride in saliva is essential for the balance between demineralization and remineralization of enamel.
Therefore, the changes generated by stress in saliva increase susceptibility to oral diseases, particularly the progression of dental caries (Barranca-Enríquez, Romo-González, 2022).
This day encourages us to consider how our mouths function and contribute to our happiness and confidence.
We are joining Toothie, FDI’s beloved mascot, on a transformative journey where prioritising oral health leads to better mental health and quality of life.
And while we’re all about promoting great oral health, we’ve also found a fun way to nurture our minds: gratitude.
Every week, we take a moment during our team meetings to share three things we’re grateful for, and we write them on a gratitude board in our surgery room. It’s a simple act that brings us together and adds a positive vibe to our space.
Gratitude helps us stay grounded, making it easier to smile, connect with others, and maintain good oral health.
And as our minds grow happier, so too do our smiles. It’s a beautiful cycle—taking care of our mental health brings about a healthier, more confident smile, while a bright smile, in turn, uplifts our spirits.
So, let’s spread those good vibes far and wide—because a happy mind equals a happy mouth, and together, we can all shine brighter!
Follow us on Instagram to follow our weekly gratitude stories.
See you next time! ❤️