Statutory Section
As a market leader reimagining a healthier future for all people and the planet through its innovation-led approach, Colgate-Palmolive (India) Limited has been championing science-led innovations in Oral Care & Personal Care in India for the past eight decades. Along with that, Colgate has been at the forefront of elevating the oral health of India - be it by imparting education on good oral health practices to underprivileged children via its Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures® program, or doing high impact campaigns spreading awareness around brushing at night.
When it comes to oral health of its citizens, India lags behind many countries of the world. A recent Colgate - Kantar study showed that 9/10 Indians suffer from oral health issues. This staggering figure is an outcome of our consumption habits (sweets / tobacco usage); brushing frequency – 80% of urban Indians don't brush twice a day and almost half of India's rural population doesn't brush daily; and less than one out of every 10 Indians visited a dentist in the last year. However what compounds this issue further is the alarming lack of self-awareness Indians have of their oral health - while 8 out of 10 Indians had cavities, only 1 out of 10 realised they had them.
In order to help bridge this access-awareness rift in India's oral care, Colgate's Oral Health Movement (OHM) was launched as a nationwide campaign. OHM seeks to revolutionize how Indians engage with oral care by leveraging cutting-edge technology to empower millions of Indians to screen their oral health from their phones, and also get a free dental checkup near them by tying up with the Indian Dental Association (IDA).
The AI-powered dental screening tool leveraged the ubiquity of WhatsApp, available in 9 leading Indian languages, to bring dental risk assessments directly to users' smartphones. The WhatsApp and web-based screening tool transformed the complex process of dental evaluation into three simple steps:
Answer a few simple questions about themselves & their oral health habits.
Upload three images of their mouth (front / upper jaw/ lower jaw).
Receive a comprehensive dental screening report instantly along with nearby dentist recommendations.
In order to ensure that maximum number of people know about this program and benefit from it, we launched an integrated, multi-touchpoint campaign spanning TV, print, digital, and social media. This also included news channels, in-store screenings, corporate tie-ups, product packs and the 2025 Kumbh Mela, resulting in a cumulative reach of more than 550 million. This movement resulted in almost 4.5 million Indians screening their th oral health across the length and breadth of the country. What's more - 1/6 of them actually ended up visiting a dentist after the self-screening (as per IDA), making this initiative a resounding success in its first year itself.
We also garnered vital insights into India's oral health. India's overall oral health score, based on user participation in Colgate's Oral Health Movement, averaged 2.6 out of 5.0. It further highlights the dispersion of people with a higher risk of common oral health issues such as cavities, stains, and gum problems, while also unveiling patterns pertaining to these across age and regional cohorts in the country.
Through innovative digital intervention, strategic partnerships, and a comprehensive approach, the movement transformed oral health from a neglected aspect of personal care to a critical component of holistic wellness. Colgate's Oral Health Movement served as the trigger and springboard for a growing nationwide movement, democratizing healthcare access and empowering millions to take proactive steps toward improving their oral health and overall well-being.
