TePe Launches “Behind Your Smile” Campaign
NewsPosted by: Dental Design 5th August 2022
Leading oral hygiene brand TePe, has launched a campaign to raise awareness of the link between good oral health and overall wellbeing, and educate consumers about the importance of maintaining a healthy smile.
The “Behind Your Smile” campaign comes after a new survey revealed that less than half (48%) of UK adults are aware that poor oral hygiene is linked to long-term health conditions.
As part of the campaign, TePe has teamed up with a panel of health experts, including GP Dr Sarah Jarvis, gut health expert Dr Megan Rossi and Amanda Sheehan, Dental Therapist & Clinical Support Specialist at TePe to highlight how a healthy smile can contribute to the health of the rest of the body.
The experts have worked with TePe to create a downloadable toolkit packed with information and advice about good oral health and its link to conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, poor gut health, arthritis, and mouth cancer.
GP Dr Sarah Jarvis said: “When we think of the benefits of looking after our oral health, it’s fillings and root canals which normally spring to mind, but the benefits extend much wider than your smile.”
“Poor oral hygiene has been linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, and heart failure. Similarly, as those with type 2 diabetes, psoriatic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are more likely than someone without to develop dental issues or gum disease, maintaining good oral hygiene is all the more important for people with these conditions.”
To inform the campaign, TePe surveyed a nationally representative sample of UK adults to uncover the nation’s smile habits. As well as highlighting a lack of understanding about the relationship between a healthy smile and healthy body, the survey revealed that over half (59%) of UK adults feel self-conscious about their smile, with three-quarters (74%) blaming it on the appearance of their teeth.
Amanda Sheehan, Dental Therapist and Clinical Support Specialist at TePe, added: “There is so much our smiles can reveal about our underlying health. With periodontitis linked to many other conditions in the body, including diabetes and cardiovascular disease, it’s vital that patients understand how to keep gum disease at bay.”
“Although awareness of regular dental appointments and brushing teeth twice a day is high, unfortunately, many people do not know that most dental disease start between the teeth, where food and plaque accumulate.”
“Through the Behind Your Smile campaign, we hope to inform consumers about good oral health and inspire them to adopt better oral care routines at home, including cleaning between the teeth daily with interdental brushes, floss or dental tape.”
For more information, visit: https://www1.tepe.com/uk/behind-your-smile/
