The world celebrates healthy smiles on World Oral Health Day

 

Geneva, 20th March 2014 – World Oral Health Day will be celebrated through more than 150 activities worldwide today. National Dental Associations (NDA), practicing dentists, students, governments, oral care companies and members of the public have come together to celebrate healthy smiles, promote worldwide awareness of oral health and educate about the importance of maintaining good oral hygiene.

Amongst the highlights this year will be an attempt to break a national record for the highest number of people brushing simultaneously in Malaysia, free restorative treatments for children in Rwanda, and flash mobs in Malta and Moldova. To see which organizations have joined this year’s World Oral Health Day, visit the map created in the new WOHD website which pinpoints all the activities around the world: www.wohd.org/get-involved.

“This year we are focusing on the importance of our teeth and mouth in our everyday lives. Eating, chewing, kissing, these are all everyday actions for which we need to maintain good oral health.” stated Dr. Tin Chun Wong, FDI President. “National Dental Associations, students, governments, and independent dentists and hygienists, and members of the public have done an outstanding job in bringing this message to everyone on such an important day, and we are extremely grateful for their efforts to make this day a success.”

This year, FDI World Dental Federation has also marked World Oral Health Day with the publication of ‘The Tooth Thief’, an illustrated story for children which includes oral health tips. This book highlights the importance of good oral health to children to instil good oral care habits from a young age.

The prologue of the book has been written by Yaya Touré, Manchester City FC player and African Football Player of the Year for the last three seasons in a row. Touré is this year’s World Oral Health Day ambassador, and as such has filmed a short advertisement that will be available online and be played on the NASDAQ screen on Times Square, New York City. The book ‘The Tooth Thief’ is available from the Apple iBook Store and Amazon and can be downloaded from the World Oral Health Day website at: www.worldoralhealthday.com/book.

This year’s WOHD celebrations have been championed by four global partners that have provided support around the world to ensure that the activities organized by the different NDAs are a success. Jean-Luc Eiselé, FDI Executive Director noted “Listerine, Unilever, Henry Schein and Wrigley have provided unrivalled support to make WOHD 2014 the largest celebration so far in terms of countries and associations participating.”

 

FDI World Dental Federation serves as the principal representative body for more than one million dentists worldwide, developing health policy and continuing education programmes, speaking as a unified voice for dentistry in international advocacy, and supporting member associations in global oral health promotion activities. Over the years, it has developed programmes, initiatives, campaigns, policies and congresses, always with a view to occupying a space that no other notfor-profit group can claim. FDI works at national and international level through its own activities and those of its member dental associations. It is in official relations with the World Health Organization (WHO) and a member of the World Health Professionals Alliance (WHPA).

 

For more information, visit: www.fdiworldental.org

 

World Oral Health Day is celebrated every year on 20th March. The theme of World Oral Health Day 2014 is ‘Celebrating Healthy Smiles’. It reflects the major contribution oral health makes to our lives. Around the world, FDI member dental associations, schools, companies and other groups will celebrate the day with events organized under this single, unifying and simple message.

For more information, visit: www.worldoralhealthday.org

 

 

LISTERINE® Mouthwash is the world’s number one daily mouthwash with antibacterial properties to clean the mouth, freshen breath and fight plaque. Over 50 clinical studies support the plaque reduction efficacy of LISTERINE® Mouthwash when used routinely as an adjunct to mechanical plaque removal. LISTERINE® Mouthwash has been used by more than one billion people in more than 85 countries. Professional dental organizations around the world have awarded LISTERINE® Mouthwash with their seals of acceptance. LISTERINE® is distributed by Johnson & Johnson Healthcare Products Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc., a part of the Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies, which is the world’s sixth-largest consumer health company and is a segment of Johnson & Johnson, the world’s most comprehensive and broadly based manufacturer of health care products.

 

Unilever Oral Care is a leading global manufacturer of oral care products, including toothpaste, toothbrushes and mouthwash, represented by brands including Signal, Pepsodent, Close Up, Mentadent, Aim, P/S and Zhong Hua. Unilever recognizes that good oral health and the sense of well-being and confidence it brings, is a vital element to making people look good, feel good and get more out of life and that small every day actions, such as twice daily brushing with a fluoride toothpaste, add up to make a big difference for the world. Through its science, products, partnerships and international network, Unilever Oral Care is privileged with the power to make a sustainable and measurable improvement to oral health around the world.

 

Henry Schein, Inc. is the world's largest provider of health care products and services to office-based dental, animal health and medical practitioners. The Company also serves dental laboratories, government and institutional health care clinics, and other alternate care sites. A Fortune 500®1 Company and a member of the NASDAQ 100®2 Index (NASDAQ Ticker: HSIC), Henry Schein employs more than 16,000 Team Schein Members and serves more than 800,000 customers.

The Company offers a comprehensive selection of products and services, including value-added solutions for operating efficient practices and delivering high-quality care. Henry Schein operates through a centralized and automated distribution network, with a selection of more than 96,000 branded products and Henry Schein private-brand products in stock, as well as more than 110,000 additional products available as special-order items. The Company also offers its customers exclusive, innovative technology solutions, including practice management software and e-commerce solutions, as well as a broad range of financial services.

Headquartered in Melville, N.Y., Henry Schein has operations or affiliates in 25 countries. The Company's sales reached a record $9.6 billion in 2013, and have grown at a compound annual rate of nearly 17% since Henry Schein became a public company in 1995.

1 The Fortune 500 is an annual list compiled and published by Fortune magazine that ranks the top 500 U.S. closely held and public corporations as ranked by their gross revenue after adjustments made by Fortune to exclude the impact of excise taxes companies incur. The list includes publicly and privately held companies for which revenues are publicly available. The first Fortune 500 list was published in 1955.

2 The NASDAQ Stock Market, commonly known as the NASDAQ, is an American stock exchange. NASDAQ originally stood for National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations. It is the second-largest stock exchange in the world by market capitalization, after the New York Stock Exchange. The exchange platform is owned by NASDAQ OMX Group, which also owns the OMX stock market network.

For more information, visit the Henry Schein Web site at www.henryschein.com

 

The Wrigley Oral Healthcare Program (WOHP) partners with dental professionals worldwide, helping them improve their patients’ oral health through one extra simple and enjoyable step in their daily routine: chewing sugarfree gum after eating and drinking on-the-go. For more than 25 years, WOHP has supported independent clinical research into the benefits of chewing gum, including saliva stimulation, plaque acid neutralization and tooth strengthening to help dental professionals and their patients understand the role of sugarfree gum as a convenient tool for everyday oral care. Today, Wrigley operates oral healthcare programs in 47 countries worldwide. WOHP is one example of how we make a difference to people and the planet through performance, and how we incorporate our principles based approach to business into all that we do.

For more information, visit: www.wrigleyoralcare.com