A courtyard full of smiles, A Happy Mouth is a Happy Life in Action at AKU-ASDH

Smiles, learning, and real impact; all in one place!

For #WOHD26, the Aga Khan University Associate of Science in Dental Hygiene Programme (AKU-ASDH), in collaboration with the Office of Employee Wellbeing, transformed the Medical College Courtyard into a lively oral health hub. The campaign engaged over 250 participants across all age groups, creating an inclusive space focused on dental disease prevention, early oral cancer detection, and practical oral health education in line with this year’s theme: Happy Mouth is Happy Life.

The focus was simple: awareness that leads to action. Participants rotated through interactive stations featuring oral cancer awareness and home screening education, tobacco cessation counselling, on-site oral assessments by dental hygienists, brushing demonstrations by students, interdental cleaning guidance, and introduction to oral hygiene aids. Each station encouraged conversation, hands-on learning, and personalised guidance.

We kept it fun too, through myth-busting quizzes, mental games, and Toothie’s photo booth. The assessment and activity stalls remained fully booked, with participants actively engaging, asking questions, and moving across stations, highlighting strong community interest in preventive oral health.

Participants also received dental care goodie bags, reinforcing key messages and supporting behaviour change beyond the event by encouraging daily oral hygiene practices at home.

A key strength of this campaign was student-led involvement, particularly the senior batch of AKU ASDH students, who enthusiastically participated in planning, coordination, education, and oral health assessments. Their active participation highlighted emerging leadership and their role as future community oral health advocates.

With strong collaboration from the Office of Employee Wellbeing, this campaign moved beyond awareness, promoting prevention, encouraging early detection, and empowering more than 250 individuals with practical tools for long-term oral health.

More than an event, this was community engagement in action, because we believe that a Happy Mouth truly leads to a Happy Life.