Winner
Delivering Better Oral Health for the Nation
Summary of work
With the number of NHS dentists falling, patients are increasingly struggling to access dental care. This has a substantial impact on health, well-being, and on the economy, with oral health problems estimated to cost the UK economy more than £105 million a year. In this context, it is increasingly important that dental professionals recommend preventative, accessible oral health tools.
Despite its status as a consumer product, evidence from a King’s College London (KCL) systematic review found that chewing sugar free gum (SFG) can reduce dental caries by around one-third, demonstrating a much greater benefit than other interventions.
Public Health England (PHE)’s Delivering Better Oral Health (DBOH) guidance is the main guideline used by dental professionals to inform care, with 85% referring to the guidance to recommend treatment. Securing a mention of SFG within these guidelines would drive uptake of SFG as an effective, accessible preventative oral health intervention.
The Wrigley Oral Healthcare Programme and Lexington led a successful campaign to include SFG in the DBOH guidelines. Our campaign involved mobilising the supportive dental community to target the full range of influencers in oral health policy, who could advocate for the benefits of SFG to effect policy change.
Judges’ comments
The programme from Lexington and Wrigley was a solid piece of work with a great situation analysis. It had strong tactics, a clear strategy and was solid and consistent. It shifted perceptions and raised awarenevess of a preventative role. The judges liked the focus on inqualities and the millennial angle brought something different to the campaign. Overall, it was simple, pragmatic and sensible, helping to fulfill a gap in NHS dental services.
