Gum Health Day 2026: a movement rather than a moment

Every year on 12 May, Gum Health Day brings together oral health professionals, patients, and organizations around the world to raise awareness of the importance of healthy gums and their role in overall health and wellbeing. Led by the European Federation of Periodontology, the initiative is expected to grow into a global movement promoting prevention, early detection, and evidence-based oral healthcare.

In 2026, Gum Health Day marks the launch of a new three-year awareness campaign under the motto “Gum Health Day: empowering lives.” To learn more about the vision behind the campaign and what is planned for the year ahead, we spoke with Professor Spyros Vassilopoulos, EFP president and chair of the communication and engagement committee, about the goals of Gum Health Day 2026 and how dental professionals can play an active role in turning science into action.

Q: Gum Health Day has become a key date in the oral health calendar. Why is it so important, and why should EFP members get involved?

Spyros Vassilopoulos: Gum Health Day is much more than a symbolic date for us. It is a global moment to remind people that oral health really matters, not only for the mouth, but for overall health and wellbeing. Healthy gums support quality of life, confidence, and long-term health, yet gum diseases are still widely underestimated.

For EFP members, Gum Health Day offers something very powerful: a shared platform. It allows us to take scientific knowledge out of the clinic, the dental school, or the congress hall, and bring it directly into communities. It is about translating evidence into action and engaging with patients and the public in a way that is meaningful and accessible.

Q: This year marks the launch of a new campaign cycle and a new approach to Gum Health Day.  Tell us about the motto for 2026, and how was it chosen.

SV: For the first time, Gum Health Day is launching a three-year awareness campaign. The overarching motto for 2026–2028 is “Gum Health Day: empowering lives.”

This reflects a clear shift in perspective. Instead of focusing only on disease, we are placing people at the centre of the message. Healthy gums are not just about preventing problems, they influence how people feel, how they live, and how they engage with everyday life.

Each year will focus on a specific theme. In 2026, the emphasis is on knowledge empowering people through information and awareness. In 2027, the focus will move to self-care, encouraging daily habits and personal responsibility. And in 2028, we will highlight wellbeing, linking oral health to overall wellbeing, in connection with the Olympic Games.

This approach is very much rooted in the EFP’s DNA. As a scientific and educational organization, empowering lives through evidence-based knowledge is part of our responsibility. At the same time, the concept is broad enough to speak to many audiences (patients, dental professionals, hygienists, and students) and to position the EFP as a bridge between science and society.

Q: What can we expect in terms of concrete initiatives for Gum Health Day 2026?

SV: One important change is that the campaign will not be limited to a single day. The idea is to bring “empowering lives” to life throughout the year. We will share campaign content around key health and awareness dates, reinforcing messages about prevention, oral health, and its wider health implications.

As in previous years, members, partners and anyone wanting to take part in Gum Health Day on 12 May will have access to a campaign builder and ready-to-use social media materials, making it easy to engage locally. In addition, we are planning a live YouTube session bringing together experts from different fields to explore the links between oral health and systemic diseases. This is about translating scientific evidence into information that people can use.

Community engagement is another key pillar. Building on the success of the free dental check-ups organized during EuroPerio in Vienna last year, we want to continue offering preventive screenings linked to EFP events. In 2026, this will include a dental check-up initiative in Baku, where we will host the Perio Master Clinic on 6–7 March.

Together, these actions combine awareness, education, and real-world impact, which is exactly what Gum Health Day is about.

Q: How can dental professionals get involved, both locally and internationally?

SV: The campaign is designed to be flexible. Dental professionals can take part in ways that fit their daily practice and professional environment. They can use the Gum Health Day materials in clinics and universities, share evidence-based messages with patients, and support initiatives led by their national societies.

Importantly, this is not limited to dentists. Oral health professionals, dental hygienists, educators, and students all have a role to play. Gum Health Day strengthens their position as trusted ambassadors for gum health and overall wellbeing.

Social media is also a very effective tool. By sharing consistent, science-based messages, professionals can reach far beyond their own practices and help keep gum health visible in the public conversation.

Q: What are the key messages dental professionals should communicate to their patients?

SV: The most important message is that healthy gums are essential for overall health and quality of life, not just for keeping teeth in place. Gum diseases are common, but they are largely preventable.

Patients should be encouraged to pay attention to early warning signs, such as bleeding gums or persistent bad breath, and to understand that these symptoms should never be ignored. Daily self-care and regular dental check-ups are fundamental but so is understanding that oral health is connected to broader wellbeing and systemic health.

By sharing clear, evidence-based information, dental professionals can empower patients to take an active role in protecting their gum health throughout life.

Q: What are the main challenges in promoting gum health globally, and how does Gum Health Day help address them?

SV: One major challenge is that gum diseases are often silent in their early stages, which means they are easy to overlook. Oral health is also still not fully integrated into broader health discussions, and access to preventive care remains uneven across regions.

Gum Health Day helps tackle these challenges by offering a global, unified platform. It amplifies consistent, evidence-based messages and clearly links gum health to overall wellbeing. Through coordinated campaigns, educational tools, and community initiatives, it helps bring gum health into the spotlight and supports professionals in delivering clear, science-driven messages worldwide.

Q: Looking ahead, how do you see Gum Health Day evolving over the next few years?

SV: I see Gum Health Day continuing to grow as a movement rather than a moment. The long-term goal is to normalize conversations about gum health, encourage prevention and early action, and strengthen the role of oral health professionals within the wider health ecosystem.

If we succeed, oral health will no longer be seen as a niche topic, but as a fundamental part of healthy living and that is the real impact we are aiming for.