The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) and Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company are focusing on the importance of dental hygiene this month. While good oral hygiene behaviors are important all year long, October is the official National Dental Hygiene Month (NDHM).
The theme for NDHM is: “It’s simple. Healthy habits for a healthy smile,” promoting the idea that a strong smile is easy to achieve with proper oral care. The event also praises all the dental hygienists who educate patients about keeping their smile healthy. NDHM is honoring all their efforts in preventive dental care.
NDHM focuses on the four main parts of good oral hygiene – brushing your teeth, flossing your teeth, rinsing your mouth, and chewing sugarless gum. Here are some fun dental hygiene facts to help remind you about good oral care behaviors.
Brush
- The average person brushes two minutes a day, a total of 38.5 days in their lifetime.
- The average person should brush four to six minutes a day, a total 122 days in their lifetime.
- The average toothbrush contains about 2,500 bristles.
- More people use blue toothbrushes than red ones.
- Women brush their teeth more often than men.
- Americans spend about $775 million on toothbrushes per year.
- Americans spend about $1.8 billion on toothpaste per year.
- Prince Charles has a personal valet to squeeze toothpaste onto his brush for him.
Floss
- 73 percent of Americans would rather go grocery shopping than floss.
- The average person uses 18 yards of floss per year.
- The average person should use 122 yards of floss per year.
- In 1815, a dentist in New Orleans began telling his patients to use a thin silk thread to clean between their teeth.
- Prison inmates have tried to braid floss into a rope to escape, or use it as a knife or chainsaw.
- Flossing is one health tip that everyone knows, but nobody seems to follow.
Rinse
- Americans spend about $885 million on oral antiseptics and rinses per year.
- Mouthwash can leave your breath fresh for about eight to ten minutes.
- Oral rinses kill bacteria in areas that your toothbrush and floss cannot reach.
Chew:
- Chewing gum helps stimulate saliva to wash away food debris and neutralize acids to fight cavities.
- Gum can help relieve ear popping on flights.
- Each stick of sugarless gum has about 1.25g of sorbitol sweetener.
- Consuming more than 20g of sorbitol per day can cause bowel trouble.
- Children spend about half a billion dollars on chewing gum each year.
Although National Dental Hygiene Month is celebrated in October, you should practice proper oral hygiene all the time. Dr. Jessica Lawson can show you how to take care of your mouth at home. In addition to preventive techniques at home, it’s important to visit Dr. Lawson for a professional cleaning every six months. Contact Lawson Family Dentistry at (515) 278-4366 to schedule an appointment with our dental office serving the Urbandale, Grimes, and Johnston community areas.
