A life less invisible

National Smile Month is upon us and you can read Charlotte Wake's article about why (and how) you should get involved with this UK-wide oral health drive on page 228. This annual awareness campaign, organised by the Oral Health Foundation, comes at a time when the dual topics of children's health and sugar reduction are hitting the headlines. The negative impact of one upon the other is, of course, not news to dental teams up and down the country who, in varying degrees, see the results of a sugar-filled diet daily. Even those patients who believe they are trying to do the best for their offspring, when it comes to ensuring a healthier diet, can often be surprised to learn that so-called sugar-free snacks are not so much – and that habits they've instilled in their children might be having a detrimental effect on their kids' teeth. In a 21^st-century Britain that remains surprisingly in the dark about how to keep teeth and gums healthy – and a food industry hell bent on keeping it darker and muddier – perhaps it should fall to the dental nurse to mop up the confusion and add a little clarity.