October is here and, as trick-or-treaters contemplate what to wear, Diablo Valley College’s Dental Program will be promoting a less well-known national celebration. One whose goal, in the words of Director of Dental Programs Nikki Moultrie, is to “increase awareness of the importance of maintaining good oral health.”

Since 2009, National Dental Hygiene Month has been a nationally celebrated time of year. Established to remind us of the importance of properly looking after our teeth, it humorously contrasts with the bigger presence of Halloween and has been called the Yin to the more popular Yang. So far, though, the cause has been gaining momentum.

Ever since its recent inception, numerous educational institutions have shed light on it seeing it as an opportunity to uniquely promote the ways in which great oral hygiene is maintained. This year, DVC’s select dental program has chosen to dedicate its impressive range of services to the occasion. In doing so, said Laboratory Coordinator Dana Colvin, it will “serve as a reminder to everyone about how important proper dental healthcare is to one’s overall health.”

Next to flossing, brushing, and rinsing, perhaps the best protective practices against obnoxious dental dilemmas are the biyearly cleanings and x-ray checks. Recognizing this, DVC’s dental clinic will be providing both students and non-students with extremely discounted cleanings and low-cost x-ray inspections. Students, too, will receive their initial evaluations for free.

Though these services are always offered throughout the spring and fall semesters, Colvin adds, dedicating them to this year’s National Dental Hygiene Month should really bring attention to the importance of good oral maintenance. By tying the two together people might take notice of how good habits and a clean mouth go hand in hand.

DVC’s highly-trained group of student dental hygienists awaits anyone ready to participate in keeping their pearly whites in top shape this October.