Dental Health Week is held annually in the first full week of August, 3-9 August 2020. The annual campaign aims to educate Australians about the importance of maintaining good oral health by promoting four key messages:

• Brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste

• Clean between your teeth daily using floss or interdental brushes

• Eat a healthy, balanced diet and limit sugar intake

• Visit the dentist regularly for check-ups and preventive care.

Get Sugar Savvy

This year, the focus is on the harm sugar does to oral and overall health, and the steps patients and the community can take to get sugar savvy. Key messages include:

• Read food labels to make healthy choices in the supermarket, using the World Health Organization's recommendations as a guide:

• Consume no more than 6 teaspoons (24g) of free sugar per day

• Choose foods with less than 10 grams of sugar per 100 grams.

There are many common names for sugar that don't include sugar in the name, including: agave nectar, cane juice, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, fruit juice, glucose, golden syrup, honey, malt syrup, maltodextrin, maltose, maple syrup, molasses, rice malt, saccharose, sucrose, syrup and treacle. Making smart choices at the supermarket makes healthy eating easier at home. Look out for these names on the ingredient list of nutrition information panels when shopping.

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Dental Health Week Resources

The Dental Health Week website is full of community resources that you can use to highlight the dangers of sugar to your patients. You can help spread key oral health messages by downloading social media tiles and sharing with your patients and followers using #dentalhealthweek. Visit dentalhealthweek.com.au to find out more and download our Oral Health Packs to promote the benefits of good oral health with colourful hand-outs and posters.