National Smile Day2026 · Date · History · Messages
A founder-issued press release from Compassionate Dental Care states that Dr. Tim Stirneman and Jim Wojdyla founded National Smile Day on 31 May.
About National Smile Day
National Smile Day is observed on May 31 as a privately created celebration of smiles and dental-care awareness.
The founders are Dr. Tim Stirneman and Jim Wojdyla of Compassionate Dental Care in Lake in the Hills, Illinois.
Why National Smile Day matters
The day mixes a simple social theme—sharing smiles and encouragement—with reminders about routine oral care.
It is a private observance, not a government health campaign or statutory holiday.
History of National Smile Day
A local 2018 report from Compassionate Dental Care documents a National Smile Day community event on Thursday, May 31, 2018 and identifies Dr. Timothy Stirneman as a creator.
A founder-issued 2019 press release says Dr. Stirneman and Jim Wojdyla founded National Smile Day for May 31 and notes that their 2018 children’s book already mentioned the holiday.
National Day Calendar continues to list May 31 annually and attributes the 2018 founding to Stirneman and Wojdyla.
How the observance developed
This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.
Dr. Tim Stirneman and Jim Wojdyla
The Compassionate Dental Care founder release says Stirneman and Wojdyla founded National Smile Day.
Dr. Tim Stirneman and Jim Wojdyla / Compassionate Dental Care (private campaign)
Founder-issued material describes the privately created observance and its registration with National Day Calendar.
First documented observance
A contemporaneous Daily Herald item submitted by Compassionate Dental Care documents celebration on Thursday, May 31, 2018.
What the evidence establishes
Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.
5 fields not established in reviewed sources
Also known as
National Smile Day
How to Observe National Smile Day
Share a kind message or a joke that might brighten someone’s day.
Use the day as a reminder to check whether your normal oral-care routine has slipped.
The American Dental Association recommends brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and cleaning between teeth daily.
For dental pain, treatment questions or an individual care plan, talk with a dentist rather than relying on celebration-day advice.
National Smile Day Facts
National Smile Day is May 31.
Dr. Tim Stirneman and Jim Wojdyla are credited as founders.
A documented National Smile Day community event took place on May 31, 2018.
The American Dental Association recommends twice-daily brushing with fluoride toothpaste, daily cleaning between teeth and regular dental care.
National Smile Day Messages
The day can be marked with kindness as well as a reminder to keep up routine oral care.
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
Evidence & sources
Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.
American Dental Association / MouthHealthy — Oral Health Recommendations (opens in a new tab)
Compassionate Dental Care founder press release — National Smile Day (opens in a new tab)
Founder Press Release
Daily Herald / Compassionate Dental Care — 2018 National Smile Day event (opens in a new tab)
National Day Calendar — National Smile Day (opens in a new tab)
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.
Frequently asked questions
When is National Smile Day?
31 May The documented recurrence rule is: 31 May.
Does National Smile Day fall on the same date every year?
Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.
Is National Smile Day an official public holiday?
The reviewed sources verify it within this scope: Privately founded smile/dental-awareness observance. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when reliable evidence explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes National Smile Day?
The reviewed sources identify Dr. Tim Stirneman and Jim Wojdyla / Compassionate Dental Care (private campaign) as the proclaiming or establishing body. The proposer or originator is recorded separately as Dr. Tim Stirneman and Jim Wojdyla.
Is National Smile Day international or country-specific?
No single country is assigned to this observance. Its documented scope is: Privately founded smile/dental-awareness observance. Use that scope rather than assuming worldwide or country-specific status.
How is this page verified?
The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-09-09.
When is National Smile Day?
It is observed annually on May 31.
Who founded National Smile Day?
Founder-issued material credits Dr. Tim Stirneman and Jim Wojdyla of Compassionate Dental Care.
When was it first observed?
A contemporaneous local report documents Compassionate Dental Care celebrating National Smile Day on May 31, 2018.
What oral-care guidance is appropriate for the day?
General ADA guidance includes brushing twice daily with fluoride toothpaste, cleaning between teeth daily and seeing a dentist regularly; individual problems should be discussed with a dental professional.
Other observances on May 31
These observances are also listed on May 31, 2027.
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National Save Your Hearing Day
CDC/NIOSH explicitly identifies May 31 as National Save Your Hearing Day; longstanding professional materials also use the May 31 observance.
National Utah Day
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