Raheem Akingbolu

To commemorate 2025 World Oral Health Day, Pepsodent, a leading global toothpaste brand, in collaboration with the Nigeria Dental Association has launched its dental health campaign themed “Talk to A Dentist”. The campaign aims to reach 3m Nigerians this year, surpassing the 2024 reach of 2.4m.
Speaking during a press conference to herald the commemoration of the 2025 World Oral Health Day, Brand Manager, Pepsodent, Mary Akindola, stressed the need to instill good oral hygiene habits among children by ensuring they brush day and night for at least 2 minutes.
She further disclosed that part of the brand’s mission was to drive behavioural change among Nigerians by ensuring that brushing twice daily becomes a universal habit.
Akindola described good oral health as a fundamental human right for everyone, regardless of socioeconomic status or location.
“According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about half of the world’s population suffers from oral health conditions, ranging from mild to severe cases. Yet, many do not take action until their condition becomes critical. One of the most prevalent oral health issues is tooth decay, with an estimated two billion adults silently battling cavities. If left unaddressed, these cases have long-term consequences.

Speaking further on the plans, she revealed that Pepsodent and Nigerian Dental Association have scheduled dental camp activations across 20 states in Nigeria and the FCT. She explained that the activations, which would afford people from various communities to participate in oral hygiene education, dental screenings and dental treatment, will take place in 5 locations in South-West, 8 locations in the East and 7 locations in the North.

In his remarks, Personal Care, Research & Development Head of Africa, Unilever, Uchenna Nwakanma, stated that Unilever, through Pepsodent, remains absolutely committed to boosting oral health awareness and increasing access to dental care globally, as demonstrated by the various programs and partnership embarked upon by the company adding that the goal is to eradicate oral disease for everyone.
In his remarks, the President of the Nigerian Dental Association, Dr. Elias Emedom, commended Unilever Nigeria Plc for its continuous partnership in promoting oral hygiene in the country.
Emedom further highlighted that the connection between oral health and mental well-being, stressing that limited access to oral healthcare and poor awareness are contributing factors to the rising burden of oral diseases in Nigeria. He reaffirmed the association’s commitment to collaborating with government agencies and healthcare providers to promote oral health and improve overall well-being.
Also speaking, the Director/Head of the Dentistry Division at the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Gloria Uzoigwe, acknowledged the government’s efforts to improving oral health policy, emphasizing ongoing initiatives to integrate oral health into primary healthcare.