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Dental News WOHD’19 campaign in progress

The WOHD 2019 campaign recently launched by Dental News- FDI’s official partner- in close association with its sponsor, Shield Pakistan, has been progressing successfully. The movement for oral care awareness has probed and penetrated many diverse population groups. Various programs aimed at oral care consciousness are being conducted as part of their WOHD’19 ongoing campaign.

World Oral Health Day (WOHD) is a far-reaching global oral health campaign. It is a platform for the public, oral health community, and policymakers to help reduce the overall oral disease burden. World Oral Health Day (WOHD) is celebrated annually on 20th March under the aegis of FDI World Dental Federation and is the largest global awareness campaign on oral health. The primary objective behind the observation of WOHD is to improve oral hygiene practices in adults and children alike and prompting concern and action regarding any oral health matter by demonstrating the importance of optimal oral health and its incontrovertible relatedness to the general health and well-being. Each year, WOHD focuses on a specific theme and reaches out to the public, oral health professionals, and policymakers, who all have a role to play in helping reduce the burden of oral disease.

WOHD 2019 theme is motivate people to take action about their mouth health. The scheme for this year is to motivate masses to visit oral healthcare providers. This can only be achieved by awakening and fostering the sense of care for oral health, for which purpose Dental News has deployed its many resources, most prominently its social media. Through different contests and polls people are being educated on the various facts and concerns regarding oral care; the effort is also contributing toward raising awareness about the weightiness of mouth problems in order to push the masses to consider the status of their oral health. People are being encouraged to immediately report any dental or oral problem, or even visit a dentist for a routine checkup.

Dental News has been keeping its audiences engaged; along with creating awareness, and eliciting and maintaining the interest among masses regarding their oral health, the 2019 campaign has involved individuals from the dentist fraternity that are stepping forward to passionately participate in this movement toward creating healthier smiles.

Dental News has been posting content comprising facts, tips and tricks, and general knowledge about the mouth and all that is within. Posts with a pinch of humour for attraction are also being published. As part of its WOHD campaign, DN invited its followers and subscribers to send in their queries in regards to their oral health. These questions were answered by a dental surgeon in a live Q&A session that was aired on Dental News’ Facebook page.

Quiz posts are being posted on social media platforms asking people basic oral hygiene/oral care questions with the intention of bringing their attention to oral health matters that are elementary, yet either forgotten or barely thought of. Common questions about brushing techniques, oral hygiene routine and timetable, and oral care tools are being asked to raise concern among masses. The intention is it to transform the cultivated concern and thoughts into action.

To educate people about the significance of a beautiful and healthy smile, a “Smile & Win” selfie competition was also recently launched, wherein the participants are required to click a picture, smiling brightly, with a Shield toothbrush and toothpaste in their hands; the picture then has to be posted on the participant’s social media with hashtags: #DentalNews and #WOHD19.

The dental community has been stirred to partake in the campaign via contributing motivational blogs and messages targeting the masses. Dental News recorded video messages of several renowned dental surgeons of Pakistan with educational content based on this year’s WOHD theme. The video messages can be viewed on Dental News YouTube handle. Apart from the celebrated dentists of our country, Dental News received WOHD public service messages from many other dental practitioners, teachers, students, and its followers on social media.

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Participate by sharing new and existing posts by Dental News to create oral health awareness. Make use of the following hashtags to maximize the reach: #DentalNews #WOHD19 #SayAhh.

Head over to Dental News’ social media to view and become part of the many exciting contests and activities; requirements for each competition are clearly mentioned. 1-3 winners will be selected via lucky draw for each competition. The winners will receive exciting gift hampers at the end of the WOHD campaign.

Preparations are in full swing for the on-ground activity planned for March 20th. Dental News, with Shield Pakistan, is set to erect kiosks in 48 locations, including hospitals and dental colleges, in 17 different cities of Pakistan from all four provinces. OPDS will run free of cost this day in selected dental hospitals and colleges to maximize dental care benefit for the masses. Free samples will also be provided to the visitors.

WOHD dental camps for the WOHD campaign will be organized at the following locations: KARACHI- Altamash Institute of Dental Medicine, Bahria University Medical & Dental College, Baqai Dental College, Baqai Medical Complex (Khuda Ki Basti), Baqai Medical Complex (Khushal Nagar Gharo), FWC Lyari, Salimullah Fahmi School Unit 1 Gadap Town, Fahmi Health & Education Center Gulberg, Dow Dental College, Dr Ishrat-ul-Ebad Institute of Oral Health Sciences, Fatima Jinnah Dental College, Hamdard Dental College, Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi Medical & Dental College, Liaquat College of Medicine & Dentistry, Madina Medical Center, Sir Syed Dental College, Ziauddin Dental College; HYDERABAD- Isra Dental College, Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences; MIRPURKHAS- Bhitai Dental & Medical College; LARKHANA- Bibi Aseefa Dental College; SUKKUR- Dr Khalid Dental Surgery; QUETTA- Bolan Medical College; MULTAN- Multan Medical & Dental College, Nishtar Institute of Dentistry; FAISALABAD- Punjab Medical College, University of Faisalabad; LAHORE-Chaudhry Muhammad Akram Dental Hospital, Institute of Dentistry CMH Lahore Medical College, de'Montmorency College of Dentistry, Lahore Medical & Dental College, Shaikh Zayed Hospital; SIALKOT- Islam Dental College; ISLAMABAD- HBS Dental Hospital, Islamabad Medical and Dental College, Islamic International Dental College, Watim Dental & General Hospital; RAWALPINDI- Margalla College of Dentistry; CHAKWAL- DHQ Hospital, Rural Health Center, Tehsil Lawa District; ABBOTTABAD- Ayub Medical College, Women Dental College; PESHAWAR- Peshawar Dental College, Rehman Dental of Dentistry, Sardar Begum Dental College; and MARDAN- Bacha Khan Medical & Dental Colle

Let us join hands on this WOHD 2019 to recognize oral health as a vital part of overall wellbeing, and let us celebrate the progress we have made to date, and at the same time commit ourselves to continue working towards better oral health for all.