Dental Health Week, which takes place in the first full week of August, is the Australian Dental Association’s major annual oral health promotion event. Its aim is to educate Australians about the importance of maintaining good oral health in every aspect of their lives.

It has three main objectives:

• - Promote oral health education and awareness in the general community
• - Motivate and educate dental professionals to promote oral health
• - Encourage ongoing collaboration within the dental profession
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This year Dental Health Week, which runs from 7 to 13 August, has taken Oral Health For Busy Lives as its theme, with the aim of helping you to appreciate that, no matter how busy you are or where you are in life, it is possible to fit caring for your teeth and gums into an already-overcrowded diary. You may see caring for your teeth and gums as an optional extra, something to be put aside in favour of more pressing issues, but the fact is that it's vitally important that you care for your teeth and gums every bit as much as anything else in life.

Throughout the course of Dental Health Week, you will be encouraged to take the time to brush and floss properly - we have some great tips if you're not entirely certain what that entails - and to make booking time with your dentist as great a priority as booking your car in for a service or seeing your hairdresser. 

Interested in previous campaigns?

Women in Oral Health- Find out how to look after your smile (2016)
Many women are unaware of the significant impact that various life stages have on the health of their teeth and gums. The reality is that major life events like pregnancy, puberty, menstruation and menopause, dramatically affect the state of your oral health.

Seven Sporting Sins, How your actions on the field affect your oral health (2015)
Everything that a person does on the sporting field or in the gym, from the supplements they use to whether they wear a customised mouthguard and their consumption of sports drinks has a major impact on their oral health.

The Sugar Bandit, The battle for the oral health of Australia’s children (2014) 
Backed by survey data that Australian parents feel they are losing the battle for their children’s oral health, the focus was on babies and toddlers’ oral health, with a particular emphasis on how the “Sugar Bandit” hides in Australian households.

The Young Person’s Oral Survival Guide (2013)
While most of us make it through our twenties in one piece, teeth, gums and mouth may not fare so well with drinking, smoking, taking drugs (legal or illegal), or oral sex taking a major toll on a person’s oral health.

Stop the Rot (2012)
With the pain and expense associated with tooth decay almost completely preventable, adults and children were educated on the importance of good oral hygiene habits and a healthy diet.