National Oral Health Month 2026

For more than a decade, National Oral Health Day has been NZDA’s flagship oral health awareness campaign, encouraging New Zealanders to take positive action through prevention, education and advocacy.

Since its launch in 2014, the campaign has supported messages such as Dental Fitness and the nationally recognised Switch to Water campaign, showing that simple prevention messages can create lasting change.

But one day is no longer enough.

Oral health remains one of New Zealand’s most overlooked health challenges. Too many people continue to live with preventable dental disease, delay treatment because of cost, or struggle to access the care they need.

That is why, in 2026, National Oral Health Day will evolve into National Oral Health Month.

Held throughout August, the month-long campaign will give NZDA a stronger platform to engage with communities, schools, workplaces, dental practices and policymakers. Each week will focus on a different aspect of oral health, combining practical everyday actions with the broader vision set out in the NZDA Roadmap Towards Better Oral Health for New Zealand.

Together, these themes will move beyond awareness and encourage lasting change for healthier smiles across New Zealand.