Protect kids' smiles

In 2013 and 2014, Wrigley Poland, together with the Polish Dental Society, Polish Children’s Dental Society and Polish Red Cross, facilitated free dental check-ups for 14,400 children in primary schools in 10 out of 16 provinces of Poland. Using specially designed child friendly branded dental rooms, educational lessons about good oral healthcare were given to over 138,000 pupils in primary schools. Children received special educational materials tailored for those aged 6-9 and 10-12 which included educational cartoons, quizzes and games. They also received dental toolkits with a toothbrush, toothpaste, sugar-free gum and information for parents about the health of their teeth and where they could seek additional dental care. The third edition of “Protect Kids’ Smiles” commenced in September 2015, with plans to help conduct 9,000 dental check-ups in primary schools in the remaining 6 provinces of Poland and help deliver 100,000 educational lessons for children all over Poland.

A report after the dental check-ups under “Protect Kids’ Smiles” showed that 76% of Polish children aged 6-12 years have problems with caries – demonstrating that work needs to be done. The campaign has also successfully increased awareness of the problem of poor oral health in the media in Poland.