Chennai, 19 November 2024: As part of its mission to champion India’s Oral Health journey, Colgate-Palmolive (India) Limited, the country’s leading Oral Care brand, has announced the launch of its transformative Oral Health Movement.
This unique AI-enabled initiative aims to encourage Indians to prioritize their Oral Health, while leveraging technology to bridge the gap between the awareness and accessibility of Oral Healthcare in India. This initiative aligns with Colgate’s commitment to elevate India’s Oral Health status through ecosystem building and science-led innovations, positioning Oral Care as a significant priority and contributor to the nation’s overall health.
At the heart of this movement is an AI dental screening tool developed in partnership with Logy.AI, which allows users to receive an instant AI generated dental screening report through a simple WhatsApp interaction. Available in 9 leading Indian languages, anyone can participate by scanning the QR code on the recent Colgate product packs or by dialing 8806088060, answering a few questions, and uploading three images of their mouth to receive a free AI-powered dental screening report.
Furthermore, Colgate has partnered with the Indian Dental Association (IDA) to activate a network of 50,000 dentists to support the Movement and offer free dentist consultations to people post the tool-based screening. To ensure widespread reach, the Movement aims to cover multiple touchpoints like retail stores, educational institutions and corporates across multiple cities in India.
Commenting on the Movement, Prabha Narasimhan, Managing Director & CEO of Colgate-Palmolive (India) Limited, said, “At our core, is the mission to improve the Oral Health of everyone in India. This is both our fundamental responsibility and a tremendous privilege. The #ColgateOralHealthMovement is a significant step towards this long-standing commitment. We firmly believe that Oral Health is essential to overall well-being and through our AI-powered Oral Health Movement we are democratizing awareness and access to Oral Care. This action will enable millions of Indians to take charge of their Oral Health in the comfort of their own homes, and pave the way for a healthy population and healthy nation. We are grateful to our partners who are helping us reach millions of Indian homes to make Oral Health a part of their overall health focus.”
The company’s flagship education program, Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures® (BSBF) has gone strength to strength in India, reaching over 180 million school children since 1976. The program focuses on inculcating the right Oral Care habits, awareness about tobacco prevention and the need for good nutrition. This year, the BSBF program achieved significant milestones partnering with the State Governments of Uttar Pradesh and Goa to extend the reach of this flagship in-school, additionally aiming to positively impact Oral Health awareness amongst over 2 crore children in Uttar Pradesh and over 2 lakh children in Goa.
90% of Indians suffer from Oral Health issues* and yet, 80% of urban Indians don’t brush twice daily and a mere 9% visit a dentist in a year.
A comprehensive pan-India study conducted by Colgate and Kantar in 2023 underscores why prioritizing Oral Health is the need of the hour. According to the study, (North) only 10% of the region visits the dentist each year. However, the region also reports that 18% people experience toothaches, while 14% face gum problems.
According to the study, East India reports that only 8%visit the dentist each year. However, the region also reports that 27% people experience toothaches, while 21% suffer from sensitivity concerns and 15% have cavities. Notably, 22% of East India faces gum issues, which is 60% higher than the national rate.
According to the study, while South India is more conscious about their Oral Health, only 9% visit the dentist in a year, 14% experience toothache.
According to the study, West India reports higher instances of advanced dental procedures, with 10% of dentist visits a year. That being said, currently 14% experience tooth sensitivity while 16% are facing toothaches according to the study.
Through the power of partnerships, Colgate’s Oral Health Movement will leverage an extensive network for maximum impact. Apart from its partnership with the Indian Dental Association (IDA), the company will collaborate with a significant number of retail customers, educational institutes, housing societies, bus stations and corporates for on-site free dental screenings.
The Oral Health Movement is accompanied by a mass media campaign, rolled out across television and digital platforms urging people to take dental screenings, supported by nationwide on-ground activations and influencer partnerships. Through this multi-faceted approach, Colgate aims to reach millions of Indians.
