The celebration, which attracted over 1500 people across the age spectrum, promoted proper dental hygiene through a series of lectures and practical drills.
According to the SLDA about 90% of the world population suffer from oral diseases and this event provided dental and oral healthcare communities a platform to address these issues with the public and possibly help reduce the overall disease burden.
Unilever Sri Lanka’s participation in the event is in keeping with the company’s global mandate of encouraging better oral healthcare as part of its Sustainable Living plan to drive positive change in the world.
Events like this, that raise the awareness of oral health, along with the active participation of government and health associations have the potential to greatly reduce the disease burden by funding and facilitating prevention, detection and treatment programs in the country.
Sharing his views on the occasion, Dr. Vipula Wickramasinghe, Hon. General Secretary, Sri Lanka Dental Association said, “This year’s World Oral Health Day was an astounding success.
It gave us an opportunity like no other to interact with and educate a myriad of different people, children as well as adults, from all walks of life.
We were able to impress upon them the importance of proper oral healthcare in leading a long and happy life.
Events like this with the active participation of all stakeholders is the difference needed to ensure a healthier future for all Sri Lankans.”
Commenting on the key role played by Unilever Sri Lanka, Nilushi Jayatileke, Director Marketing - Personal Care, Unilever Sri Lanka stated, “Being the pioneer that introduced fluoride toothpaste to the Sri Lankan market, Unilever is committed to its social mission of improving the health and well-being of the Sri Lankan people.
This is also in line with our philosophy of “Doing Well by Doing Good”, in which oral health plays a pivotal role.
Unilever has been conducting Free Dental Camps across the Island over the past 10 years covering millions of Sri Lankans and has been a partner of the SLDA for over 3 decades to ensure the upliftment of oral health and hygiene in Sri Lanka.”
Upholding its commitment towards inculcating good oral health practices, Unilever in collaboration with Regional Dental Associations under the purview of the SLDA, have disseminated innumerable toothpaste and toothbrush samples to children across the country.
Furthermore, taking local oral hygiene to the next level, the company’s iconic oral health brand, Signal, launches its famed ‘Sina Bo Wewa’ campaign each year to protect and preserve the unique Sri Lankan smile.
This year the brand selected Sri Lanka’s first ever smile ambassadors to take the Sri Lankan smile to the world.
These efforts have been a vital step in realizing Unilever’s mission of a ‘Cavity Free Sri Lanka’.
World Oral Health Day is celebrated on March 20th each year to promote worldwide awareness of the issues around oral health and the importance of oral hygiene for both the old and young.
Organized by the FDI World Dental Federation, this year’s celebration also marked the launch of a new three year campaign under the theme ‘Say Ahh: Think Mouth, Think Health’ which encourages people to make the connection between their oral health and their general health and well-being.
About Unilever: Unilever Sri Lanka is one of the biggest FMCG companies in Sri Lanka, with 29 market leading brands in categories such as Home Care, Personal Care and Foods.
Established in Sri Lanka in 1938 with brands such as Sunlight, Lux and Pears.
Unilever’s corporate purpose is to make sustainable living commonplace, and the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan sets out to decouple the company’s growth from environmental impact, while increasing its positive social impact.
The Plan has three big goals that by 2020 will help improve people’s health and well-being, reduce the company’s environmental footprint, and enhance livelihoods across its value chain.
For more information about Unilever, please visit www.unilever.com.lk.
