The 10th edition of the "Share a Smile" program has come to an end.

In the school year that is just coming to an end, the educational program "Share a Smile" celebrated its anniversary. The initiative was created in 2013 through the cooperation of Mars Poland and the Polish Red Cross in response to the scale of tooth decay in Poland. Since then, nearly 900 thousand children from primary schools across the country have had the opportunity to participate in the program and learn about the principles of proper oral hygiene in an engaging and interesting way. As part of this year's 10th edition of the nationwide campaign, almost 100 thousand children participated in educational activities and gained knowledge on how to take care of their teeth to enjoy a beautiful and healthy smile.

According to research, nearly 82% of six-year-olds and over 85% of twelve-year-olds in Poland have tooth decay. This disease is associated with many unpleasant consequences, can also increase the risk of developing other diseases, and decrease the effectiveness of some therapies. That is why Mars Poland and the Polish Red Cross supported by experts from the Polish Dental Society and the Polish Society of Pediatric Dentistry consistently implement actions aimed at teaching school children and their parents and guardians the principles of proper oral hygiene. The ambassador of "Share a Smile" for the fourth time was Magdalena Różyczka – a Polish actress and social activist.

In the anniversary edition, nearly 100 thousand students from almost 900 primary schools across the country participated. This would not have been possible without the active involvement of more than 1200 teachers. For the funding of the program, Mars Poland traditionally allocated 1% of the sales of sugar-free Orbit® gum in September and October. This year, thanks to consumer support, this amount reached as much as 811 thousand zlotys.

A decade of the "Share a Smile" program and nearly 900 thousand educated children is a reason for us to be immensely proud. As a producer of sugar-free gum – whose chewing is one of the elements of oral health prevention – and a socially responsible company, we are pleased to support young generations in health education. This is possible thanks to consistent cooperation with our long-term partners PCK, PTS, and PTSD, as well as consumer support – emphasized Beata Rożek, Corporate Director of Mars Poland.

What makes us extremely happy is that a record number of nearly 900 schools and over 1200 teachers have joined the "Share a Smile" initiative in its anniversary edition. This is important because the problem of tooth decay and poor oral health among children is still current – both in Poland and globally. According to WHO data, between 1990 and 2019, more people worldwide were diagnosed with tooth decay than were born[1]. This situation motivates us to take further actions and to reach more and more children and their parents with the "Share a Smile" program ­– commented Małgorzata Szukała, Head of the Promotion and Revenue Acquisition Department at the Main Board of the Polish Red Cross.

An inseparable element of the program is conveying the principles of oral cavity prevention in an accessible form four simple steps for healthy and clean teeth:

As part of the "Share a Smile" program, organizers and substantive partners emphasize how important it is to build healthy and good habits from an early age to avoid tooth decay in the future. That is why as part of the upcoming 11th edition starting in September, the "Share a Smile" program will also be expanded to include kindergarten children and school preschoolers, for whom engaging and age-appropriate educational materials have been designed.

[1] WHO Global Oral Health Report, 2022, p. 10.