Back to the dentist! Dental Health Week 2026 theme unveiled

Australian Dental Association

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1 July 2026

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2 minute read

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Oral health

This year’s campaign focuses on supporting young Australians aged 18–25 to maintain healthy dental habits and keep regular check-ups on their to-do list.

Dental Health Week is the perfect time to shine a spotlight on oral health. Running from Monday 3 to Sunday 9 August, this year’s campaign focuses on supporting young Australians aged 18–25 to regularly attend the dentist and engage in their oral health.

As part of the 2026 event, the ADA is running three mini "My Smile" campaigns on social media, supported by recent consumer research commissioned by ADA’s Oral Health Promotion team.

Mouthguards and sport

This campaign highlights the benefit of mouthguard use to prevent dental injuries, particularly in high impact sports. Mouthguard use is lower amongst Gen Z, with reduced use by females compared to males, and use varies based on patients’ geographical position and income levels.

The erosive and cariogenic properties of sports drinks and the risks of over-consumption will also be highlighted.

Cosmetic procedures

The general public is more focused on aesthetics compared to function, especially their ‘Social 6’ upper anterior teeth. Young people turn to a host of influencers and direct marketing and increasingly take matters into their own hands.

This campaign will share essential information about what cosmetic procedures really involve, and the damage DIY efforts may cause, reminding consumers to rely on their dentist for advice and treatment.

Wisdom teeth

By and large, the general public, including Gen Z, is not aware of the differential diagnosis with issues relating to wisdom teeth versus other oral health conditions.

This campaign raises awareness of signs and symptoms such as pain, halitosis, trismus, intra-oral and extra-oral swelling, acute and/or spreading infection. Managing wisdom teeth is a great opportunity to encourage this age group to visit the dentist.

To help you get the message out there, we’ve created a range of great eye-popping, attention-grabbing resources that you can use in your practice or out in the community. Resources include social media, posters and other digital assets to engage this age group on the topics of wisdom teeth, cosmetic dentistry and sport.

Find out more about Dental Health Week

“I always wear a custom mouthguard made by my dentist - I’d hate to lose a tooth! I also drink water instead of sugary, acidic sports drinks.”