Mumbai’s taxi drivers benefit from Colgate’s free dental camps

Colgate & Indian Dental Association (IDA) offered free dental check-ups and dental treatments to taxi drivers at the GVK Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, as part of the 14^th edition annual Oral Health Month program

Mumbai, January 31, 2018: Colgate-Palmolive (India) Limited, the market leader in Oral Care, in partnership with Indian Dental Association (IDA), conducted a two-day dental camp for Mumbai’s taxi drivers, at the Mumbai International Airport, on January 30 & 31. The camp helped taxi drivers from the city with free dental check-up, consultation as well as treatment by IDA dentists, who educated them about preventive oral care measures and the importance of oral health to the overall well-being. 

Here are a few testimonials from the drivers:

·         “Mujhe danton me kaafi takleef rehti thi par mai doctor ke paas nahi gaya. Aaj Colgate ki wagah se mujhe IDA dentist se muft salah mili. Bahut bahut dhyanwad. (I have always had some or the other kind of dental troubles but never ended up visiting a dentist. Today, thanks to Colgate, I received a free consultation from an IDA dentist),” said Mohammad Vakil, a taxi driver based out of Sion

·         “Main khush hu ki Colgate ne mujhe aur baaki taxi drivers ko muft mein danton ki jaanch karaane ka mauka diya, who bhi airport pe jo hamare liye ek sahuliyat rahi (I’m glad that Colgate set up free dental camps for the taxi drivers at the airport, which is a convenient location for us),” said Suresh Yadav, a taxi driver from Andheri .

A recent survey report highlighted that taxi drivers consume tobacco in various forms in order to stay awake; 35% of the drivers showed early signs of oral cancer due to tobacco consumption; and 64% of the 400 surveyed drivers consume tobacco and its products like khaini and paan masala (Source: Research study by Mishra GA et al from Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai)

Colgate & IDA, therefore, came together and organised special dental camps for taxi drivers at the Mumbai Airport to provide them free check-ups as well as dental treatments like scaling & polishing.

Speaking about this special camp, Issam Bachaalani, Managing Director, Colgate-Palmolive (India) Limited said, “We are happy to share that we have received an overwhelming response from the taxi drivers at the dental check-up camps. It’s our pleasure that we have been able to reach out to them and extend our annual Oral Health Month program taking it a notch higher this year. I would take this opportunity to thank GVK for extending their support and helping us to do something for the taxi driver community.”

Dr. Ashok Dhoble, Hon. Secretary General, Indian Dental Association, said, "The Oral Health Month is one of the biggest oral care campaigns in India where Colgate & IDA come together to drive their common objective of improving the oral health of the country. Since its inception in 2004, OHM has grown significantly in reach and scale, providing over 30 million free dental check-ups till date. As a part of the current OHM program, 35,000 IDA dentists across India will be providing free dental check-ups to people, and, in the process, educating them on good oral care habits."

Speaking on the initiative, GVK spokesperson said, “At GVK, we take our commitment to society very seriously and the culture of giving back to the society is deeply ingrained as part of our company’s ethos. GVK, therefore, felt the need to organise a special dental care camp in association with Colgate & IDA for the taxi drivers plying through the airport and also provide them free dental treatments.”