GUM CONTROL - the big issue.

Periodontology awareness Campaign

aims to lift profile of dentistry
Dentists throughout Europe are the target of a major new wake-up campaign on the links between gum
disease and key life-threatening illnesses.
Research showing associations between periodontitis and systemic conditions such as diabetes and
cardiovascular disease has prompted the European Federation of Periodontology (EFP) to activate an
intense awareness campaign aimed at dentists but which is also designed to capture public attention through
health warnings and oral health recommendations.
A constant flow of dossiers, documentary videos, internet resources, and advertising will help the message
reach its target of 340,000 dentists and hygienists throughout Europe. The information will be channelled
through more than 26 European national Periodontal Associations, congresses and specialist medical and
general news media. Social networks will also be employed as the campaign seeks to influence the major
interest groups involved, including scientific societies, health professionals outside the dental community,
universities and research institutes, medical institutions and regulatory bodies, oral care policy makers, funders,
businesses, patients and the public.
This initiative in dental care is crucial in the overall challenge to improve general health, says Foti Panagakos,
DMD, PhD, Global Director, Scientific Affairs, Colgate-Palmolive Co.
The association between periodontal disease and conditions affecting many of the bodys other systems is
essential. We are proud to support this campaign and help raise awareness of the importance of healthy gums
as a fundamental element to patients quality of life he added.
At the heart of this big push for dental health awareness is the recent key Workshop meeting of European
and US dental experts held in Segovia, Spain. During an intense three-day workshop, four working groups
carried out a comprehensive systemic review of key studies into the links between diseases in the mouth and
those affecting other vital areas of the body.
Scientists worldwide, among them the 81 US and European experts who gathered at the November 2012
summit in Spain (sponsored by Colgate), have long known that some of the germs that infect your gums
when you develop gum disease, escape into the bloodstream, probably when you chew. This triggers your
bodys immune defence systems, which release powerful agents into the bloodstream to help your body fight
off the germs. However, these agents also have unwanted, harmful actions on other parts of the body.

If Periodontitis, a progressive, chronic inflammatory disease, is left untreated, it has the potential to
undermine overall health and exacerbate inflammatory conditions such as Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular
Disease (ACVD), or increase the risk of developing diabetes and contribute to diabetes complications by
negatively impacting upon diabetes control.
Periodontitis has been shown to increase the risk of a first ACVD event, (such as heart attack or stroke),
independent of other known cardiovascular risk factors. Research has shown that such risks exist in people who
have never smoked, and the risk factor has also been revealed in studies that control for diabetes status.
Research shows that treatment for gum disease, such as the cleaning and regular professional care given by
your dentist or hygienist, can help improve general health. After successful gum treatment, the bodys defence
system is less active towards periodontal bacteria. Because of this, the level of powerful and possibly harmful
agents released into the bloodstream is lower. Gum treatment also improves some measurements that doctors
use to judge your risk of heart attack or stroke.
Pointing out these dangers to the dental community and to its patients has become a priority for the European
Federation of Periodontology, one of the foremost dental organisations in Europe, with over 13,000
members.
The media campaign to highlight the 9th European Workshop on Periodontal and Systemic Diseases
will be constantly boosted at major European dental events throughout 2013 and through contact with national
associations.
The EFP awareness campaign is supported by Colgate-Palmolive and GABA.

An explanatory documentary video on the aforementioned Workshop - Perio and

General Health : The Vital Connections - is now available (http://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=bHMTgMKPFG8) and this details how research into links between
periodontal disease and systemic illness is progressing, featuring interviews with
leading periodontologists from both sides of the Atlantic. Journalists can download
press releases and relevant medical information from the Press Area of a specially
designed and regularly updated web site (http://perioworkshop.efp.org/).
About EFP/ AAP
The European Federation of Periodontology (EFP) is one of the largest dental organisations in Europe and
currently integrates 26 National Periodontal member Societies. The EFP runs the hugely successful dental
conference, Europerio. The American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) is an 8,400-member professional
organization for periodontists - specialists in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases affecting the
gums and supporting structures of the teeth, and in the placement of dental implants.

About Colgate-Palmolive
Colgate-Palmolive is a leading global consumer products company, tightly focused on Oral Care, Personal Care,
Home Care and Pet Nutrition. Colgate sells its products in over 200 countries and territories around the world
under such internationally recognized brand names as Colgate, Palmolive, Mennen, Speed Stick, Lady Speed
Stick, Softsoap, Irish Spring, Protex, Sorriso, Kolynos, elmex, Toms of Maine, Sanex, Ajax, Axion, Soupline, and
Suavitel, as well as Hills Science Diet and Hills Prescription Diet. For more information about Colgates global
business, visit the Companys web site at http://www.colgatepalmolive.com. To learn more about Colgate Bright
Smiles, Bright Futures oral health education program, please visit http://www.colgatebsbf.com.
About Colgate-Palmolive/GABA
A member of the Colgate-Palmolive group of companies, GABA is a European manufacturer of innovative,
branded oral care products which include elmex and meridol. With strong partnerships with the dental
profession and with oral care associations the company is committed to delivering high performance oral health
systems based on unique active ingredients for healthy teeth and gums.

More info:
EFP & MS Media Service
Marianne Steinbeck mariannesteinbeck@efp.org
Peter Wix
peterwix@efp.org

+49 8025 5785

+34 913 142 715