Pepsodent’s Campaign Targets 10m Children

Raheem Akingbolu

In commemoration of the 2024 World Oral Health Day, Pepsodent, a global toothpaste brand, has initiated a dental health campaign named “Talk to A Dentist” in collaboration with the Nigerian Dental Association. The campaign aims to reach 10 million children by 2025, with its launch beginning in schools and communities across Lagos.

Speaking during a press conference to herald the commemoration of the 2024 World Oral Health Day, Marketing Head – Beauty & Well-Being and Personal Care, Unilever Nigeria, Oiza Gyang, expressed the campaign’s motive to promote good oral health hygiene among children, emphasizing Unilever’s commitment to combatting poor oral health care in Nigeria. 

Gyang highlighted the link between oral care diseases and absenteeism among school pupils, underlining Pepsodent’s efforts to reverse this 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 realized that the highest cause of school absenteeism is as a result of oral diseases,” she said.

In her welcome remarks, Category Manager, Oral Care at Unilever Nigeria, Eva Ogudu, outlined the campaign’s objectives to achieve zero cavities through consistent twice-daily brushing with a fluoride toothpaste like Pepsodent and regular dental check-ups. She emphasized the initiative’s broader goal of democratizing access to dental care, including free dental camps to eradicate oral diseases.

Ogudu reflected on past successes, noting the significant impact of previous campaigns in reaching millions of children and providing essential dental health services to thousands of Nigerians. She underscored the ongoing collaboration between Pepsodent and the Nigerian Dental Association in advancing oral health education and accessibility nationwide.

Also speaking, Head, Corporate Affairs and Sustainable Business,  Unilever Nigeria, Godfrey Adejumoh, noted that the ‘Talk to a Dentist’ campaign embarked upon by Pepsodent remains one of the numerous initiatives outlined by Unilever Nigeria to improve people’s health, confidence and well-being. Adejumoh reiterated the company’s commitment to using its business to become a force for good in society.

On his part, Personal Care, Research & Development Head, Unilever Africa, Uchenna Nwakamma, explained that the Pepsodent brand remains the preferred toothpaste for driving oral health care agenda because of its patented formulation.

In his remarks, the President of the Nigerian Dental Association, Dr. Tope Adeyemi, disclosed that about 90% of the world’s population are more likely to suffer from oral diseases in their lifetime.

Adeyemi stated that Nigerians must cultivate low cost preventive practices such as brushing of teeth twice daily with fluoride containing toothpaste, visitation of dentist as well as the adoption of healthy lifestyle to prevent common oral diseases.