UP Governor Honours School Oral Health Programme That Reached 60 Lakh Students

At a ceremony held at Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University in Ayodhya on 4 August 2025, the Government of Uttar Pradesh — represented by Governor Smt. Anandiben Patel — recognised Colgate India for its Bright Smiles, Bright Futures school oral health education programme.

The numbers

• Over 60 lakh students reached in Uttar Pradesh.
• 39 districts covered.
• More than 16,000 schools involved.

Commitments announced alongside the recognition included training at 2,300 Anganwadi centres in Ayodhya, reaching a further 2.4 lakh children, distributing academic books to 5,000 students in the district, and a stated goal of reaching 2 crore children across Uttar Pradesh.

Why school programmes work

This is a corporate programme and we are reporting it as such — but the underlying approach is sound, and it is worth saying why.

Most of what determines an adult's oral health was settled before they turned twelve: whether brushing twice a day is automatic, whether sugar is an occasional thing or a constant one, and whether a dentist is a normal appointment or an emergency. Teaching that at eight costs almost nothing. Correcting it at thirty-eight costs a great deal, and by then some of the damage is permanent.

Programmes that reach children where they already are — in classrooms, in groups, with their friends doing the same thing — get further than campaigns aimed at parents who are already busy.

If you are a parent reading this

Two things carry more weight than everything else combined: fluoride toothpaste used twice a day from the moment the first tooth appears, and a dental visit before there is a problem rather than after. Both are unglamorous. Both are why some children reach adulthood without ever needing a filling.