Pepsodent, an oral hygiene brand of Unilever Nigeria, has initiated a dental health campaign aimed at reaching 10 million Nigerian children by 2025 in collaboration with the Nigerian Dental Association (NDA).
The campaign marking 2024 World Oral Health Day is set to be held in schools and communities across Lagos state, fostering early childhood awareness of the importance of good oral hygiene.
Oiza Gyang, marketing head of beauty, wellbeing, and personal care at Unilever Nigeria, said the goal is to tackle the challenge of poor oral health facing many Nigerian children during a press conference.
Gyang noted that observations show there are links between oral care diseases and absenteeism among school pupils, underlining the essence of Pepsodent’s efforts to reverse the trend through targeted initiatives.
“Globally, about 3.9 billion people suffer from one oral health condition or the other with tooth decay being the most prevalent oral disease. It has been established that children with poor oral health are more likely to suffer self-confidence and self-esteem issues. These days, we have since realised that the highest cause of school absenteeism is as a result of oral diseases,” she said.
Eva Ogudu, category manager, Oral Care at Unilever Nigeria said the campaign also aims to achieve zero cavities by promoting twice-daily brushing with fluoride toothpaste and regular dental check-ups.
She noted that the initiative’s ultimate goal is to democratise access to dental care, including free dental camps to eradicate oral diseases.
Citing the impact of previous campaigns in reaching millions of children and providing essential dental health services to thousands of Nigerians, Ogudu said a collaboration has been established between Pepsodent and the NDA in advancing oral health education and accessibility nationwide.
