Happy the Hippo drafted in to encourage good oral hygiene amongst children
The British Dental Health Foundation have drafted in a new recruit to encourage children to adopt good oral hygiene habits; Happy the Hippo will join the team in May to launch the 35th National Smile Month programme.
Despite significant improvements in children’s oral health in recent years, figures show that almost a third of children under the age of 12 suffer from decay. The British Dental Health Foundation are hoping that Happy the Hippo will help to get children interested in oral health and urge them to look after their teeth and gums.
The theme for this year’s campaign is the ‘Smile Factor’ and dentists are hoping to raise awareness of the importance of good oral health for a positive future; research studies show that good oral health can be instrumental for successful professional and social lives and dentists are hoping to target children in a bid to improve standards of oral health nationally in the future.
Happy the Hippo said he is delighted to be joining the team and encouraged children to get involved with the campaign by visiting the website and attending the events being held across the country in May. Parents can also get information and advice from a free dental helpline.
Chief executive of the BDHF, Dr Nigel Carter said that he was hoping that Happy the Hippo would help children to understand how important it is to look after their teeth and gums. National Smile Month will be celebrated between the 15th May and the 15th June.
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