Recently, at the FDI World Dental Congress in Prague, FDI World Dental Federation officially unveiled Generation Smile – the oral health movement for all, a new platform for World Oral Health Day (WOHD). Under its first-year theme, Join Generation Smile, the campaign invites people around the world to come together to champion oral health as an essential part of overall health and wellbeing.
Generation Smile is built on the powerful idea that lasting change begins with each of us. Whether it is brushing twice a day, adopting healthier habits, visiting a dentist regularly, encouraging others to care for their teeth and gums, or advocating for the right to oral health for all—everyone has a role to play, and every action counts. Because together, millions of individual actions can become a global movement for change.
Generation Smile redefines oral health as something bigger than just the mouth, while remaining unmistakably connected to it.
“The smile is not the outcome. It is the symbol of everything a healthy mouth makes possible—from health to confidence, comfort, connection and wellbeing,” WOHD working group chair Dr Anna Lella said.
“By helping people protect their oral health throughout life, Generation Smile aims to create healthier communities and brighter futures around the world.”
At the heart of this is an important reality: the health of our mouths is integral to general health, with oral diseases linked to a range of systemic conditions.
Inspired by the universal language of street art, Generation Smile introduces a bold new visual identity designed to transcend borders and cultures. Throughout the campaign, people around the world will be invited to add their voice to a global digital mural—turning individual support into a collective work of art.
“With Generation Smile, we want to give people a shared space to say: my oral health matters, and caring for it matters too,” FDI president Dr Nikolai Sharkov said.
“We want to create a movement for lifelong oral health—because oral health has the power to change lives, and everyone can be part of that change.”
