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Ryoko Yonekura and Masao Kusakari, Japan's Best Smiles Best Smile of the Year 2017 Announced
The Japan Dental Association held the "Best Smile of the Year 2017" awards ceremony at the Shangri-La Hotel Tokyo in Chiyoda Ward on November 8. President Norio Hori stated, "It has been 28 years since we started the '8020 Campaign' to help people keep 20 or more of their own teeth by age 80. Last year, the number of people achieving this finally exceeded 50%." He added, "We want to increase the number of people who maintain healthy teeth and mouths throughout their lives, enjoy eating delicious food, talking happily, and smiling."
Awards were presented in two categories: the Smile Photo Contest and the Celebrity Category. The contest solicited "exceptional smile photos," selecting one Grand Prize winner and six Excellence Award winners from 5,534 entries. A new "Dental Smile Category" was also established for members of the Japan Dental Association, their clinic staff, and dental university/faculty students, selecting one Excellence Award winner.
The submitted photos embodied the award's slogan, "Spreading 'Good Teeth, Good Smiles' Across Japan." Chairman of the judging committee, photographer Shinpei Asai, commented, "Many photos were sincere and straightforward. They truly made us feel the importance of smiles."
In the Celebrity Division, actress Ryoko Yonekura and actor Masao Kusakari were honored as having "the most radiant smiles this year."
The two are currently co-starring in the ongoing drama "Doctor X ~Surgeon Michiko Daimon~." Yonekura shyly remarked, "In the drama I'm currently appearing in, I mostly show a stern expression saying things like 'I never fail,' but from now on, I'll treasure my smiles." Kusakari drew laughter by saying, "I think my best smile this year was when I saw Yonekura-san again for the first time in a while during the drama's cast meeting."
Yonekura revealed she loves brushing her teeth, saying, "I brush immediately after eating. I carry a toothbrush with me and chew gum often, being careful not to cause discomfort to those around me," showing her high level of awareness.
She also smiled, adding, "I'm the type whose feelings show on my face. But I truly believe other people's smiles can lift your spirits. I want to make an effort to spend my days smiling and feeling good as much as possible. It made me think again about wanting to do lots of fun things and stay positive." Kusakari concluded, "I've been making sure to get regular checkups lately. Your teeth affect your overall health. I hope everyone makes sure not to skip their regular checkups."
Official Website: http://bestsmile.jp/
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