Good mouth day

Today, and January 19th annually, is Good Mouth Day いいくちの日. It comes from a play on how the date is written in short in Japan, "1/19", which can be read as "ii" (1-1) "kuchi" (9) which means "good mouth". The purpose of the day is to encourage people to think beyond brushing and pay attention to the overall oral health.

The photo in this post is of children walking into a giant inflated mouth! I took it at the excellent "Grossology" exhibition when it was touring Japan. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be in Japan in recent years. The exhibition was fantastic for teaching children (and adults) about the body, including the mouth, in a fun way. 

Choosing a good toothpaste that doesn't just fight against cavities, but gives wider oral care, as well as using mouth rinse regularly, are just two of the ways you can look after your mouth. And not just on "good mouth day", but every day!