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NDHWTM Celebration Ideas

Promote awareness about oral health in your community by using our celebration ideas or your own creative concepts. Even picking just one activity to take our message out into the community will make a difference, raising the profile of the profession and highlighting the value of dental hygienists.

Download the promotional flyer here.

Dental chair in a dental office

In your office

  • Encourage your young clients to enter the national NDHWTM colouring contest.
  • Label all out-going mail with NDHWTM stickers.
  • Add the NDHWTM electronic graphic banners on your email signatures and/or websites.
  • Construct a Wall of Smiles bulletin board – posting all your client’s healthy smiles (with permission).
  • Greet every client with “Happy Oral Health Month” or “Happy Dental Hygienists Week” and give them an NDWH sticker or bookmark.
  • Hand out NDHWTM Smile Certificates to children.
  • Plan a "toothfairy" themed day at the clinic.
  • Wear purple scrubs or design and wear SMILE for Oral Health Month t-shirts to replace scrub tops.
  • Hold an open house or oral health fair inviting the general public to visit your facilities. Offer cancer screenings, chair “rides” for kids and demonstrate tools and equipment.
Facade of a building

Online and with the Media

  • Record and post a YouTube video on proper brushing and flossing techniques.
  • Send National Dental Hygienists Week media release, feature articles and artwork to local media - radio, TV or newspapers or provide to school, fitness centre or other community newsletters.
  • Share messages about oral health on Facebook and Twitter.
  • Inform local radio and television stations about Oral Health Month and NDHWTM and offer to be interviewed on air.
  • Ask the local newspaper to publish an oral health fact of the day/week during NDHWTM or the month of April.
  • Use the NDHWTM trivia quiz to hold a contest (with prizes) through your local newspaper, on the radio or at an information booth.
  • Set up a telephone hotline, call-in radio show or in person panel of dental hygienists to let the public “talk to the experts.
Variety of smart devices

In your community

  • Ask your local library or bookstore to set up a display featuring oral health themed books.
  • Host a Brush and Tell oral hygiene demo at day care centres, elementary schools, community centres, shelters, senior centres, scouting or guiding groups.
  • Hold an essay or poster contest with an oral health theme for clients or in the community. Partner with your local newspaper and have the entries published.
  • Ask local hotels, malls or other businesses to announce Oral Health Month or NDHWTM on their outdoor billboards.
  • Visit your local arena to host a mouthguard fitting session.
  • Set up a display at a local mall, library, school, community centre, long term care facility, shelter or other venue, offering information about the importance of oral health.
  • Use the NDHWTM proclamation and ask your Mayor, MP or MPP to publicly proclaim National Dental Hygienists Week at a Council or Cabinet meeting.
  • Hold a toothbrush giveaway at a local shelter.
  • Present baby baskets full of oral health products and info to the mothers of babies born during NDHWTM at your local hospital.
  • Organize a teddy bear oral health fun fair where children can bring in their stuffed animals to have simulated dental screenings.
  • Supply oral health info flyers to food banks, grocery stores or pharmacies to be included in customer shopping bags.
  • Request for local landmarks to be lit in purple, you can use this sample letter to make your request.
Facade of a building

In schools

  • Put together a Teacher’s Kit containing activity sheets and fact sheets concerning childhood oral health issues and deliver it to local schools. You may also want to include a letter which can be sent home to parents or ask if you can make a presentation to the staff or PTA.
    Request a classroom kit from Colgate https://www.colgate.com/en-ca/oral-health-education/program-kits
  • Promote a sugar free day in local schools. Organize a snack raid at a local school, examining, recording then discussing nutrition and oral health.
  • Visit high school health classes to talk about risky behaviors like smoking, oral piercing, HPV.
  • Hold a career presentation at a local high school, college or university to introduce and promote our profession to students.

Be sure to share whatever you do with marketing@cdha.ca so you can make this list next year and be considered for one of our awards.

Good Luck & Have Fun!