Canadian Dental Hygienists Celebrate World Oral Health Day

On March 20, oral health professionals in 75 countries around the world will celebrate healthy smiles as part of World Oral Health Day (WOHD). Organized by the World Dental Federation, this annual event is designed to raise awareness of the importance of maintaining good oral health across the lifespan.

“Oral health is essential to overall physical, social, and mental well-being,” explains Mary Bertone, President of the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association (CDHA). “It affects our ability to eat, laugh, speak, and smile, and can lead to serious health complications such as diabetes, respiratory and heart diseases, and stroke, if compromised.” As primary health care providers, dental hygienists play a vital role in preventing and detecting oral health problems. At a dental visit, your dental hygienist will examine your head, neck, and mouth, and will work with you to develop an oral hygiene plan that will ensure the best overall health possible. Given that 90 percent of the world’s population will suffer from oral diseases during their lifetime—many of which are preventable—proper oral health care is an imperative that cannot be ignored.

“Dental hygienists are your partners in prevention,” adds Bertone. “We welcome the opportunity to join with oral health professionals around the world in the fight to reduce the global burden of oral diseases, and to help all Canadians maintain a health smile.” To that end, CDHA is a proud supporter of WOHD, and sponsors Canada’s National Dental Hygienists Week™ every April as part of Oral Health Month to remind people young and old that oral health is an important part of overall health.

Serving the profession since 1963, CDHA is the collective national voice of more than 26,800 registered dental hygienists working in Canada, directly representing 17,000 individual members including dental hygienists and students. Dental hygiene is the 6th largest registered health profession in Canada with professionals working in a variety of settings, including independent practice, with people of all ages, addressing issues related to oral health.

For more information on oral health, visit: www.dentalhygienecanada.ca