HKT48 singer Rino Sashihara, 19, and actor Yusuke Yamamoto, 25, are the recipients of the Best Smile of the Year Awards 2013.

The awards are given each year on Nov 8, which is Good Teeth Day, by the Japan Dental Association during a ceremony to promote good teeth.

Good Teeth Day was created in 1993 to celebrate proper oral hygiene by a joint effort of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare and the Japan Dental Association. November 8 was chosen for this day because the date can be read as “ii ha” or “good teeth” in Japanese.

The Best Smile awards are the latest in a long list of awards handed out to celebrities this time of year to promote various industries.

© Japan Today