A world oral health campaign in a dental desert
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Access to NHS dental care within the UK is in crisis and this situation is becoming increasingly desperate.1 A recent BBC investigation found that nine out of ten NHS dental practices were ‘not accepting new adult patients’ and eight out of ten NHS practices are not registering new children.2 This has resulted in people travelling hundreds of miles to find a practice willing to take on new patients. For those unable to access dental care, pain, infection and tooth loss have become a reality resulting in those without a functional dentition reducing their diet to being exclusively soft foods or soup.2 For those of us that are privileged enough to be registered with a dental practice, it is difficult to comprehend the difficulties that the non-registered are currently facing.
It has been shown that oral health can directly negatively impact the social and psychological health and wellbeing of individuals and is closely correlated with chronic diseases.3 The Adult Oral Health Survey released in 2021 found that 21% of adults suffering from chronic disease were diagnosed with at least one severe condition related to their oral health which will have a negative impact on daily life.4,5 The far-reaching impacts of oral disease combined with a lack of access to NHS dentistry has created a myriad of challenges for those members of society that have dental problems. Some of these challenges include severe dental pain, the inability to properly eat and chew their food and feeling self-consciousness about their appearance.4,5 The clarion call to the profession to promote oral health awareness and thereby make a difference, is abundantly clear.
This issue is particularly severe in the Southwest of England, where the region has been described as a ‘dental desert’ due to the extremely limited availability of NHS dental services.6 There is, however, the opportunity even within a dental desert to be creative. In areas with extremely limited access to dental services, community engagement and public oral health education can play a crucial role.7 For example, the Association of Dental Groups launched the Patients First Report where they recommended a conscious effort to invest in ‘Community Prevention’.8 It is pivotal that key oral health messages reach as many people as possible. Research has shown that oral health education programmes can effectively increase patients’ understanding of essential oral health practices.7
The far-reaching impacts of oral disease combined with a lack of access to NHS dentistry has created a myriad of challenges for those members of society that have dental problems.
World Oral Health Day relies on individuals and organisations across the globe to provide initiatives in their local area, with many small initiatives helping to establish a worldwide educational campaign.9 The Peninsula Dental School (PDS) is ideally situated to address these problems as it is in the heart of the Southwest. The school has educational facilities spanning from Truro in Cornwall to Exeter in Devon. At these facilities, patients receive NHS dental care from undergraduate BDS and DTH students supervised by qualified and experienced Clinical Supervisors. This is an ideal opportunity to raise awareness of one of the most important issues affecting people globally.
In recognition of the World Dental Federation’s (FDI) ‘World Oral Health Day’ 2024, the PDS dental students Emily Akister and Nadezhda Anim-Somuah organised an event at the Main Campus situated at Roland Levinsky Building, Plymouth addressing over 175 people.10 For World Oral Health Day 2025, the same students set themselves the goal of extending their impact, this time basing their campaign around the theme ‘A happy mouth is… A happy mind’ and organised a five-day campaign.11
Their 2025 campaign consisted of:
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A five-day social media campaign (17-21 March 2025)
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Acquisition of sponsorship and samples from Listerine, Haleon and Colgate for students to distribute to their patients in clinics on World Oral Health Day
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The creation of poster displays at the Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise’s (PDSE) Truro Dental Education Facility (DEF).
The social media campaign, posters and information slides were all evidence-based and on the following topics:
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1.
modification and improvement of diet
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2.
The ‘Spit Don’t Rinse’ concept after brushing
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3.
How to confirm the fluoride content in toothpaste
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4.
How to correctly use dental floss
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5.
Raising awareness of how oral health impacts mental health and wellbeing.
The social media campaign platform chosen was Instagram as it has been shown to be used by a younger demographic12 and it is this demographic, those aged between 25-34 years, who have been reported to have the lowest attendance for regular dental check-ups of all age groups.4,5 The information was posted on the Peninsula Dentsoc’s Instagram pages and reposted through other accounts including, the official World Oral Health Day page, the FDI World Dental Federation, the University of Plymouth Student’s Union (UPSU), the University of Plymouth and PlymUniDental, which combined, are followed by more than 72,000 people.
There is something very rewarding in educating others on the importance of oral health.
The posters used were all designed by fellow fourth year undergraduate dental student Salmah El Badry, who also created a leaflet for Mouth Cancer Awareness Month.13 The UPSU also displayed these posters throughout the student’s union building during the campaign. Throughout the week, mouthwash, toothpaste and key oral health messages were given by fourth year dental students to their patients at the Truro DEF. Alongside the distribution of samples, students engaged their patients with conversations on how oral health can relate to mental health and wellbeing.3
The students displayed their professionalism, initiative and commitment to social engagement within local communities and beyond.14,15
The students leading this initiative reflected on the events and stated the following:
Emily: ‘There is something very rewarding in educating others on the importance of oral health. As dental professionals, a lot of what we see is preventable, so being able to equip people with the knowledge and motivation to make positive change for themselves, is a key aim for me, not just for our world oral health campaign, but for the rest of my career.’
Nadezhda: ‘Engaging with patients and the community and having discussions about oral health has been incredibly fulfilling. Many people don’t realise how closely their oral health is linked to their general health and wellbeing, so being able to bridge that gap through education is invaluable. Conversations can spark a change in habits, and this campaign reinforced the power of education in improving public health. I look forward to continuing to educate and empower patients throughout my career.’
In conclusion, it is fair to say that equipping people with the knowledge to maintain their oral health is universally beneficial and while it may not address the problem of dental access, raising awareness of oral health to the wider community through initiatives like the ones described above have the potential to reduce the need for dental treatments in the long run.
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