National Dentist's Day
National Dentist's Day, which also goes by names such as Dentist's Day or Dentist Day, is dedicated to showing appreciation and thanks to dentists and all other dental specialists. It also brings awareness to the importance of dental care and encourages those who have been neglecting care to go in for a checkup. March 6 may have been chosen for the date of the holiday because that purportedly was the date in 1790 when John Greenwood, the personal dentist of George Washington, invented the dental foot engine. This device, the design of which Greenwood based on his mother's spinning wheel, rotated to power a dental drill.
How to Observe National Dentist's Day
Some ways you could celebrate the day include:
- Schedule an appointment with your dentist or another dental specialist, and encourage others to do the same.
- Show off your smile. Some of its beauty can likely be attributed to your dentist!
- Thank your dentist for all they do for your teeth. Giving them a gift may be appropriate. While you're at it, you could let them know you have improved your focus on your oral health and could ask to get a picture with them to post on social media. Make sure to smile!
- Make your dentist proud. Commit to flossing daily and brushing twice a day for at least two minutes.
- Teach a tooth-brushing song to a child.
- Learn more about John Greenwood.
- Visit the National Museum of Dentistry.
- Read a book about the history of dentistry.
- If you are a dentist, post a video online in which you talk about what you love about dentistry, about your great patients and team, and about the importance of maintaining teeth and getting regular checkups.