WOHD is celebrated globally every year on 20 March. Its purpose is to empower people by providing them with the tools and knowledge necessary to prevent and control oral disease, which affects nearly 3.5 billion people worldwide. Since its inception in 2007, the campaign has grown remarkably, reaching millions worldwide and encouraging them to look after their oral health by adopting a good oral hygiene routine and managing their risk factors.

Last year at the World Dental Congress in Sydney in Australia, FDI launched the new WOHD campaign theme for 2024–2026, which is “A happy mouth is …”. This impactful tag line aims to simplify oral health by clearly explaining its benefits in an accessible way. This year’s WOHD highlighted the crucial link between oral health and general well-being, garnering an outstanding public response, involving participation by 218 countries and over 500 activities. Online, the initiative attracted over 421,000 page views and 46 million video views. Thanks to this tremendous engagement, WOHD made a significant impact and successfully launched Toothie, the beloved beaver mascot, as the protagonist of an exciting movie-inspired campaign.

Entering the second year of its three-year cycle, the 2025 campaign promises to build on this foundation with a new focus area that aligns with broader developments in the global health agenda, following on the adoption of the World Health Organization’s resolution on oral health in 2021.

“Through initiatives like WOHD, we aim to inspire individuals to prioritise their oral health and experience the holistic benefits that come with it,” said Dr Anna Lella, chair of the WOHD working group. “We are thrilled to introduce this year’s campaign, centred around the idea that preserving oral health does much more than benefit just our mouths and general health; it has an enormous impact on our overall well-being too,” she added.

The World Dental Congress is renowned for gathering dental professionals from around the globe and provides the perfect platform for launching this impactful campaign. It is an opportunity to inspire the wider health community to mobilise more action and improve people’s lives together.

You are invited to attend this session to learn about the new WOHD theme and the campaign’s objectives, learn how to utilise the vast array of freely available resources and be inspired to contribute to this global movement. Every effort, large or small, helps improve the oral health of populations worldwide.

The WOHD 2025 launch event will take place on Thursday, 12 September, from 14:00 to 16:00 in the Hamidiye hall on the B2 floor of the Istanbul Congress Centre. For more information about the WOHD 2025 campaign and FDIWDC24, please visit www.wohd.org and 2024.world-dental-congress.org.

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