Help your patients step into the future of oral healthcare this World Oral Health Day

This World Oral Health Day, Philips Sonicare is partnering with Life Education to encourage patients to develop and maintain good oral healthcare habits from an early age.

Oral disease affects 3.9 billion people worldwide, with untreated tooth decay impacting almost half of the world's population.¹ Sugar is a leading risk factor for tooth decay, which affects nearly 100% of adults, making it the single most prevalent and preventable disease in the world.² At Philips Sonicare, we want to help dentists to encourage preventive healthcare habits and harness technological innovations which can lead to better longer-term oral health and, importantly, better overall health and wellness for patients.

"This World Oral Health Day we want to help dentists inspire people to take charge of their oral health and help prevent oral diseases to protect their general health by joining forces with Life Education to teach Australian children proper oral hygiene habits from an early age. Good habits, such as brushing twice a day for two minutes, are so important for patients in looking after their mouth, teeth and gums. Sixty to ninety per cent of schoolchildren and almost all adults suffer from tooth decay worldwide,³ so it's more important than ever to instil good brushing routines early on in life," said Dr Hera Dimitriadis, Philips Australia and New Zealand Dental Professional Relations Manager.

"Technology is providing new ways for patients to care for their oral health. Toothbrushes, such as our Sonicare For Kids electric toothbrush, can help keep young patients engaged while they learn to brush. The product comes with an interactive app that syncs to the toothbrush via Bluetooth to show proper brushing techniques and track performance. Educational and effective, the data-driven insights technology can help kids develop healthy oral care habits that will last a lifetime," said Dr Dimitriadis.

Philips Sonicare's partnership with Life Education will commence in April and span education resources, teacher webinars and wider consumer activity.

Philips Sonicare is a Global Partner of FDI World Dental Federation and is the official power toothbrush sponsor of World Oral Health Day 2019.

For more information about World Oral Health Day please visit: www.philips.com.au/c-m-pe/dental-professionals/about-us/news/world-oral-health-day

For more information about Philips products: https://www.philips.com.au/c-m-pe/dental-professionals/dental-indications

About World Oral Health Day

Celebrated annually on 20 March, World Oral Health Day (WOHD) was launched by FDI World Dental Federation to raise global awareness on the prevention and control of oral disease. The 2019 World Oral Health Day campaign 'Act on Mouth Health' motivates people to take charge of their oral health to prevent oral disease and protect their general health and well-being.

About FDI World Dental Federation

FDI World Dental Federation serves as the principal representative body for over 1 million dentists worldwide. Its membership includes some 200 national member associations and specialist groups in over 130 countries. FDI's vision: 'leading the world to optimal oral health'.

About Royal Philips

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people's health and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips generated 2018 sales of EUR 18.1 billion and employs approximately 77,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries.

About Life Education

Life Education is Australia's largest provider of preventive health and drug education to school children. With the help of its iconic mascot Healthy Harold the giraffe, Life Education has been empowering children and young people to make safer and healthy choices for 40 years. We work in more than 4,000 schools and preschools across mainland Australia, with more than 700,000 school children participating in our program each year. Our 130 specially trained educators visit students in every state and territory across Australia via our 100 mobile classrooms.

References

1. FDI World Dental Federation, 2018.
2. FDI World Dental Federation. Sugars and Dental Caries: A practical guide to reduce sugars consumption and curb the epidemic of dental caries. Geneva, FDI World Dental Federation, 2016.
3. FDI World Dental Federation, 2018.