‘Cavity Free Sri Lanka’ enters Guinness Records:

Oral gratification

The Signal Guinness World Record for the most number of dental screenings conducted at one location, during a single day, was achieved with the participation of enthusiastic schoolchildren from many schools in Kandy.

By Carol Aloysius

A decade of promoting Lankan Smiles in its Sina Bo Wewa campaign launched in 2005, paid rich dividends for Uni Levers Sri Lanka when it notched up another record in the Guinness Book of World Records, on Friday, March 20.

The campaign previously made a mark in the Guinness Book of World Records for holding the largest photographic exhibition of 100,000 Sri Lankan smiles in 2004. It also went on to win the Brain Icon Award in 2005.

Its latest record was for conducting the highest number of dental screenings in one location, as part of its campaign to mobilize national effort to work towards a ‘Cavity Free Sri Lanka’. A total of 9334 persons, mainly school children were screened at Gatembe, Kandy.

The dental screenings were done with the assistance of the Sri Lanka Dental Association and the Dental Faculty of the University of Peradeniya.

“Without their tremendous contribution it would not have been possible to achieve such results,” said Wathsala Aluthgedera, Category Head – Oral Care, at Unilever Sri Lanka. She further added, “It was a momentous occasion for everyone involved in this endeavor to be a part of such a significant achievement. Signal has been at the forefront of many a milestone in oral care in Sri Lanka over the past 56 years and this is yet another key achievement for Sri Lanka and for Signal.”

A delighted and thrilled Brand manager who spearheaded the campaign Channa Tennekoon told the Sunday Observer, “The previous record was held by Mumbai where 5,100 people were screened in one day. The fact that we were able to nearly double that record makes us extremely proud and happy.”

Paying tribute to all those who helped in the campaign, he said they had to conduct this campaign in addition to helping the Ministry of Health and Sri Lankan Dental Association with various programmes promoting oral hygiene, as it was World Oral Health Day on March 20 .

“Winning this award has inspired us to continue this campaign in the future, using Signal as our iconic brand. We will also continue our Night Brushing campaign which is part of this programme, with special focus on school children in rural areas, as it has brought some very positive results,” he said.

The Signal Guinness World Record for the most number of dental screenings conducted at one location, during a single day, was achieved with the participation of enthusiastic schoolchildren from many schools in Kandy.

For the children, it was a historic occasion to be actively involved in the setting of a world record. It was also an opportunity for them to be inculcated into the good habits of regular oral health.

“Signal is pleased to mark this significant achievement as a historic event; one of our core objectives is to get our communities involved in working towards a Cavity Free Sri Lanka” said Siddharth Banerjee, Country Marketing Director, Unilever Sri Lanka. “This year we are focusing on

‘Brush Day & Night’ as our global oral health campaign.

The campaign is based on getting the children actively involved in brushing teeth while also encouraging the entire family to do so”, he added.

Generating awareness of sound oral care has formed the cornerstone of Signal’s campaign, explained Banerjee.

The brand has been closely associated with many dental projects and initiatives undertaken with the objective of bringing oral care to communities throughout the country. “Our goal is ensuring a Cavity Free Sri Lanka and our mission is to rally the country towards that sigular goal though multiple approaches that mark good oral health,” he added.

The event was attended by officials from the Dental Services Unit of the Ministry of Health, Dental Faculty of the University of Peradeniya and Sri Lanka Dental Association officials.

Also present at the occasion were officials from the Guinness Book of World Records and employees from Unilever Sri Lanka.