Don’t let gum disease wipe the smile off your face

UCL Eastman Dental Institute (EDI) and the British Society of Periodontology (BSP) are calling on members of the public to help raise awareness of gum disease.

The #howsyoursmile campaign seeks to highlight the serious effects of the disease on health and wellbeing, through social media.

EDI researcher, Professor Ian Needleman who is co-leading the campaign with the BSP, said: “Today is all about raising awareness of a condition which is present in around half the population but is often under the radar.

“Gum disease can be present for years without diagnosis and treatment and affects quality of life – yet is highly preventable and also treatable if caught early.

"Left untouched, confidence, appearance, eating and speech can be affected.

“We hope people across the UK will join us in this novel approach to tackling this most prevalent of threats to our collective oral health.”

Get involved:

Download your set of mouthcards,  model your favourite, take a selfie and tweet using the hashtag #howsyoursmile.

Visit the BSP and meet experts including Professor Needleman at Westfield Shopping Centre  today between 10.00am and 10.00pm.