Gum Health Day is two months away!

EFP-affiliated national societies are finalising their plans for Gum Health Day on May 12, now just two months away.

From a small start in 2014, this annual awareness day for periodontal health has become a global event with periodontal societies from across the world joining in.

This year the focus is on the importance of periodontal health to aesthetics, self-esteem, and self-confidence – as well as to overall health – as reflected in the slogan “Healthy gums, beautiful smile.”

The EFP has just released its latest promotional video for Gum Health Day 2019, featuring two young people who look after their teeth and gums, eat healthy food, exercise, and enjoy the benefits of being able to display beautiful smiles.

This visual material joins earlier videos and the substantial “toolkit” that the EFP has provided its member societies, featuring posters, logos, animation, infographics, and press releases that they can use, translate, and adapt.

All the materials are available via the Gum Health Day section of the EFP website and have also been made available to national societies directly.

Wide range of activities

Among activities already confirmed to the EFP by the national societies are:

• Free periodontal screenings;
• Handing out leaflets (along with toothbrushes, toothpaste, and other oral-health materials);
• Lectures by periodontal specialists;
• Television and radio interviews;
• Press conference and press releases.

In addition, most societies will use social media to help spread the message of “Healthy gums, beautiful smile” to a wide audience.

Beyond Europe

It is not just EFP-affiliated societies that are organising events. Other national societies of periodontology are also taking part, as happened on May 12 last year, when 41 societies took part – 29 of the EFP’s 30 affiliated societies plus 12 from Latin America.

This year, activities are being planned by some of the five societies due to join the EFP at its general assembly on March 30 – those of Georgia, as an associate member, and Brazil, Lebanon, Mexico, and Taiwan as international associate members).

And the Latvian Society of Periodontology is planning open lectures, free periodontal check-ups, and media interviews.

“The content of the Gum Health Day 2019 toolkit will be extremely important to help us in disseminating this project in our country,” said the Brazilian Society of Periodontology, which is using social media to spread the word and will highlight the awareness day at its annual congress on May 3.

“Gum Health Day is an important initiative of the EFP to promote periodontal health worldwide and our national societies are enthusiastic to contribute to its success,” said Lior Shapira, co-ordinator of Gum Health Day 2019.