“As oral disease becomes more prevalent, collaboration becomes essential”

We’re hosting some fantastic symposia this year, bringing together thought leaders and experts to shine a light on the global oral health burden, the importance of self-care in prevention and new approaches to improving outcomes. Events like this are such a valuable opportunity to connect with advocates from around the world. I’m genuinely excited to be here again, to meet people face to face, share ideas and ensure Haleon and our brands continue to be a meaningful voice in the conversation.

Oral diseases are among the most prevalent health conditions globally, yet many are preventable. How do Haleon’s brands help tackle this issue?
Oral diseases are the most prevalent non-communicable diseases globally, affecting nearly half the world’s population. And yet, they’re largely preventable. At Haleon, we fully agree that there’s no health without oral health, and we know there are still barriers to achieving it. Our category-leading brands play a vital role in this mission—empowering people to take charge of their oral health by raising awareness, breaking down barriers to care and innovating to meet evolving needs.

Take dentine hypersensitivity, for example: over 50% of adults report sensitivity, yet 41% of people don’t treat it. Sensodyne’s Chill Test campaign is a brilliant way we’re helping to close that awareness gap and prompt people to take action and talk to their dentist. Our activation in India alone reached over a million people.

We’re also addressing inadequate oral health literacy, a challenge for millions globally. In Egypt, we’ve partnered with the Egyptian Dental Association and FDI to launch the Sensodyne Smile Bank, delivering free dental check-ups and treatments to one million people a year. In South Africa, our Aquafresh Libraries and educational campaigns aim to instil lifelong oral health habits in children through access to books and oral health education. In the UK, the Aquafresh Shine Bright schools campaign uses video content, brushing songs and curriculum-linked educator resources to support early oral health learning.

Take Sensodyne: we’re building momentum through our Sensodyne clinical platform, and Clinical White and Clinical Repair are expected to be in 21 markets by the end of the year. In India, we launched a smaller 20-rupee pack, now available in over 10,000 villages. Just this month, we are launching Sensodyne Repair and Protect toothpaste in China, featuring our advanced NovaMin technology. It forms a restorative layer that starts to repair sensitive areas within 2 minutes.

Our brands are backed by decades of clinical research, which reinforces trust among dental professionals. For example, a recent clinical study showed that using parodontax Active Gum Repair daily can reduce gingivitis—an important milestone in demonstrating efficacy.

Innovation is central to our strategy, which is why we’re investing in the future. We’ve recently broken ground on our new Global Oral Health Innovation Centre in the UK, a £130 million (€151 million*) state-of-the-art research facility designed to accelerate innovation and put health in more hands globally.

Industry collaboration is key to improving oral health globally. What opportunities do you see for partnerships to advance self-care?
Tackling the global burden of oral health isn’t something any one organisation can do alone. As oral disease becomes more prevalent, collaboration becomes essential.

We’re committed to driving change through partnerships and leveraging the reach of our category-leading brands. Our collaboration with FDI is a strong example. Beyond sponsoring its annual congress, we support initiatives like the Oral Health Observatory and World Oral Health Day, which aim to raise awareness and promote better oral health.

We also invest in research that helps inspire action. This includes supporting the Health Inclusivity Index developed by Economist Impact and sponsoring the Time to Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is white paper with the European Federation of Periodontology. These initiatives help frame the global oral health challenge and spotlight opportunities to empower self-care.