March is the month for the dental community. Every year at this time, we honor National Dentist’s Day (March 6th) and Dental Assistants Recognition Week in the first full week in March (March 7-13, 2021). These days recognize and say thank you to our fellow dentists and dental assistants for helping people take great care of their teeth. Spring is also the perfect time to invite our patients to come in for their biannual checkup if they have been putting it off.

Dental History of National Dentist’s Day

• 5000 B.C. – The ancient Sumerians thought that tooth decay and cavities were a result of tooth worms.
• 2600 B.C. – One of the earliest dentists was Hesy-Ra from ancient Egypt.
• 1530 – The first dental book was written by Artzney Buchlein called “Little Medicinal Book for All Kinds of Diseases and Infirmities of the Teeth.”
• 1990 – Cosmetic dentistry became popular with the help of colorful braces, dental veneers, dental implants, and teeth bleaching.

As dentists, we are doctors for your smile! Our goal is to help you keep your mouth healthy for a lifetime of smiles because, with proper care, most people can keep their teeth throughout their lives. We work hard to help you prevent problems in their early stages by diagnosing and treating any developing oral conditions so your teeth and gums can remain healthy and strong for you. A healthy smile protects your overall health as well since the mouth and body are intrinsically connected.

How to Support National Dentist’s Day (and Your Smile):

• Take a few extra minutes to brush and floss your pearly whites today.
• Show our dentist how your smile is improving by brushing and flossing daily.
• Teach your child a fun song to help them brush longer.
• Schedule your family’s routine dental checkups and exams.
• Snap a photo of yourself with your dentist and post it on your social media platforms and add the #NationalDentistsDay hashtag.
• Drop off a thank you note to our dentist. We love to see your smiling face under your mask!

Dental Assistant Week

The American Dental Association (ADA) encourages us to recognize our dental assistants’ crucial role in keeping our patients smile and body healthy throughout the year. It all starts inside the mouth, where harmful oral bacteria can travel through the bloodstream to hurt our bodies. Good dental care is the first step of taking care of the rest of your body.

This year’s theme is ‘Dental Assistants — Our Heart Goes Into Every Smile.’ Our dental assistants are just as important as our dentists for the work that they do on behalf of patients. Before you even show up for your dental appointment, our dental assistant is preparing for your time in the chair, pulling your dental file, and sterilizing and setting out any instruments that will be needed for your treatment.

Our dental assistant also makes sure that you are comfortable and relaxed during your treatment and supporting our dentist by handing instruments over during your procedure. They also take patients’ dental X-rays, help out our office managers, and help bring a smile to everyone they come into contact with (you might not see that smile under a mask, but it is there somewhere!).

Right now, there are over 300,000 dental assistants around the country who are hard at work to create happy smiles. Overall, dental assistants are good at what they do because they genuinely care about their patients and the dental team. They want to make a difference in the lives of those around them no matter their age; children, adults, and senior citizens alike. Compassion is a trait you will generally see in great dental assistants. They are good listeners, quick thinkers and eager to solve problems. Without their daily efforts, dental offices like ours would not function as efficiently and effectively. We hope you take a moment to thank our dental assistant the next time you come in for your appointment!