World Oral Health Day  says that they “aim to empower people with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to secure good oral health” on March 20. Oral health is something that is not often talked about unless you’re in an oral health office, but it is a very important part of everybody’s day.

The American Dental Association says that World Oral Health Day was “first declared in 2007 and originally celebrated on Sept. 12, the birthday of FDI founder Dr. Charles Godon.” FDI stands for Fédération Dentaire Internationale, the World Dental Federation. In 2013 this day was moved to March 20 to avoid conflict with the FDI World Dental Congress.

World Oral Health Day says the new day was chosen because “seniors must have a total of 20 natural teeth at the end of their life to be considered healthy; children should possess 20 baby teeth; healthy adults must have a total of 32 teeth and 0 dental cavities.” Based on this numerical combination, the number 3/20 comes up, or March 20.

There are many benefits to good oral health: reduced decay, reduced dental work, and improved breath. There are also many long term effects: a lower risk of stroke, cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, or diabetes. Perfect Teeth says you can have better dental hygiene by “brushing teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, flossing at least once a day, drinking water between meals, and seeing your dentist on a regular basis.”

You can celebrate World Oral Health Day by having a conversation about oral health, improving your oral health with a visit to the dentist, or donating to an oral health campaigns like Americastoothfairy.org,  www.dentalhealth.org or teamsmile.org,