As the world marked World Oral Health Day, 2025, on March 20, parents were urged to instill a culture of good oral hygiene practices in their children from a young age.
Speaking at Technology Primary School in Murang’a town during a sensitisation exercise, Antony Esyalai from Unilever East Africa highlighted the importance of teaching children good oral hygiene practices from a young age to avoid common dental illnesses.
“Good oral health starts at home with the parents teaching the children to brush their teeth twice a day,” Esyalai said.
“The whole community’s involvement cannot be underestimated because if the education doesn’t start at home, what we tell them at school cannot be effective,” he explained.
Esyalai noted that children as young as nine years may lose some of their primary teeth because of a lack of adherence to proper oral hygiene.
“It is very important for parents to teach their children how to take good care of their teeth, starting with brushing their teeth for two minutes twice a day as well as visiting a dentist at least twice a year,” he stated.
He observed that the biggest hurdle in promoting oral hygiene among children is lack of information and lack of good examples where parents or guardians do not practice good oral hygiene themselves.
“Oral health is often a gateway to one’s general health, and bad bacteria in the mouth could potentially lead to other illnesses,” Esyalai explained.
According to Esyalai, teaching children about good oral hygiene as they commemorate World Oral Health Day is part of Unilever’s wider efforts across the country, targeting 1000 schools and one million students and teaching them the importance of good oral hygiene.
He noted that Unilever’s brands of toothpaste are available in small quantities, and the prices are generally affordable.
He called for concerted efforts from stakeholders in oral health, such as researchers, medics and manufacturers of hygiene products, among others, to work together to ensure more people have access to information and commodities necessary for oral hygiene.
“We need as many partners as possible in the industry because this job cannot be done by one party; the Ministry of Health, the Dental Association and other parties working together will be more effective,” he said.
Sheila Chepkorir, the Marketing Manager for Personal Care at Unilever, echoed Esyalai’s sentiments and observed that a large number of Kenyans are suffering from different oral hygiene issues such as dental cavities, gingivitis and bad breath, which can be prevented by embracing good oral hygiene practices from an early age.
The Deputy Head Teacher at Technology Primary School, Benson Chege, on his part, appreciated the initiative by Unilever, saying it will go a long way in ensuring the children are well informed on good oral hygiene practices as early as possible.
By Purity Mugo
