All set for Gum Health Day 2021 with animations, Perio Talks, and call to sign EFP Manifesto

The EFP, its 37 affiliated member societies, and other societies and organisations are all set for Gum Health Day 2021 on Tuesday 12 May, where they will drive home the message that gum diseases are preventable and encourage people to visit their dentists.

A special Perio Talks live session on Instagram (@perioeurope) will take place at 19.00 (CET) on 12 May, in which Gum Health Day 2021 co-ordinator Henrik Dommisch will discuss how to educate the population about the threat of gum disease with representatives from various national societies, including Bruno De Carvalho (Belgium), Silvia Masiero (Italy), Nada Naamal (Lebanon), Álex García (Mexico) and Joao Miguel Gomes (Portugal).

A series of four short animations that use humour to highlight causes or symptoms of gum disease has now been released on the EFP’s YouTube channel and versions in 28 different languages have been produced for use by the national societies. Each society has a version with the slogans “gum disease is preventable” and “visit your dentist” in the relevant languages and featuring the society’s logo and website address.

In addition, the EFP and the national societies will be encouraging dental and medical professionals to sign the EFP Manifesto “Perio and General Health”, a call to action for dentists and medical professionals to be proactive in the prevention, early detection, and treatment of periodontal disease.

“Gum Health Day 2021 aims to remind people that gum health is a key factor for health and wellbeing even if, unfortunately, it’s still sometimes overlooked,” said Henrik Dommisch, “Gum diseases that could be effectively prevented and treated still affect hundreds of millions of adults worldwide. It’s time to take decisive action against gum diseases – we can beat them just by keeping a good oral hygiene and going regularly to visit our dentist, periodontist, or hygienist.”