Dental News - EFP promotes Gum Health Day 2023: “Healthy gums look good on you!”

European Federation of Periodontology

Fri. 12. May 2023

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BRUSSELS, Belgium: “Healthy gums look good on you! Protect them!” is the slogan for Gum Health Day 2023, a worldwide public health campaign held on 12 May and led by the European Federation of Periodontology (EFP).

The campaign is intended to raise awareness among the public that maintaining gingival health and having regular check-ups is an integral part of general health, as scientific evidence shows a clear association between periodontal disease and many serious, chronic conditions, including diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It also emphasises the importance of healthy gingivae for appearance and self-confidence.

Therefore, besides the advantages of pursuing gingival health, Gum Health Day aims to inform the general public about the detrimental effects of periodontal diseases, such as gingivitis, periodontitis, peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis, on both oral and overall health. These campaign messages are promoted by the EFP’s national member societies in more than 30 countries.

For health and aesthetics

Dr Spyros Vassilopoulos. (Image: EFP)

Dr Spyros Vassilopoulos, Gum Health Day 2023 coordinator, said: “This year’s campaign focuses on aesthetics and well-being because of the role of gingival health in personal appearance, self-esteem and allure for everyone, regardless of age or gender, for example.”

Because periodontal diseases are chronic inflammatory conditions that affect a large proportion of adults globally and are linked to a variety of major systemic health issues, in addition to certain forms of cancer, the campaign seeks to raise awareness regarding the prevention of these. It also draws attention to the negative dental outcomes of periodontal disease, such as tooth loss and masticatory problems and consequent effect on aesthetics.

Dr Vassilopoulos explained the importance of emphasising to patients that “a healthy smile has two major components: our teeth, driven by white aesthetics, and our gums, driven by pink aesthetics” and that both of these need to be healthy for a person to have an appealing smile and feel good.

Prevention is the best treatment

He continued, “One common regret among patients is that they have lost the tissue between their teeth and these gaps, or ‘black triangles’, make them feel uncomfortable. Unfortunately, trying to regrow that tissue is one of the most challenging and unpredictable tasks in periodontal surgery. It makes much more sense in terms of beauty, cost, time and outcomes to protect the gingivae by keeping them healthy rather than trying to undo the damage of periodontal disease once it has already been inflicted.”

People often fail to realise the major impact that healthy gingivae have on their appearance and self-esteem until they have periodontal disease. Dr Vassilopoulos gave his suggestion on putting this in perspective for patients: “Many devote a lot of time and energy to their appearance—so protecting one’s gingivae is a smart move. Just as one’s skin, hair or eyes matter in terms of appearance, so too do one’s gingivae.”

Join Gum Health Day 2023

All oral health professionals are invited to join Gum Health Day 2023 and to disseminate among their patients, colleagues and social media followers the educational materials that the EFP is offering free on its website, www.efp.org. The EFP is also warmly encouraging dental professionals to have fun with the themed Instagram filter and the Gum Health Day personalised campaign builder. Using this tool, dental professionals can create their own posters and social media posts, choosing their favourite catchphrase and language and customising it with their own logo and image.