Dental Students' Society, Nepal Celebrates World Oral Health Day 2025 II RUN FOR ORAL HEALTH II MEDITATION SESSION

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. BACKGROUND

Every year World Oral Health Day (WOHD) is celebrated in March 20 signifying the importance of oral health and to make global call for all the health professionals and non-medical professionals to act for oral health.

This year World Oral Health Day 2025 is being celebrated with the theme “A Happy Mouth is A Happy Mind” emphasizing the connection between oral health and mental well-being.

Established in 2023, the Dental Students' Society of Nepal (DSSN) is a youth-led, non-profit organization representing the interests and aspirations of dental students and young professionals across Nepal. As the recognized national member of the International Association of Dental Students and the World Dental Federation (FDI), DSSN is positioned at the forefront of global dental advocacy and innovation.“

1.2. EVENT OVERVIEW

Run for Oral Health” is a first ever event of this kind in Nepal which was organized by DSSN at March 20. This event was aimed to unite dental student, dental professionals and other concerned personalities to increase public awareness about the significance of the day and importance of oral health. The event was a combination of run session, talk session and a brief meditation session. The event was made glorified by the presence of various famous personalities as well.

2. OBJECTIVES

• To increase the awareness level regarding oral health in general public.
• To promote health lifestyle among dental students and dental professionals.
• To aware people about the connection between oral health and mental wellbeing

3. PLANNING AND PREPARATION

3.1. ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

Organizing Committee was formed from the members of executive committee and general members of the organization to plan and execute the event. The role of organizing committee was to:

a. Make implementation plan for the event.

b. Manage resources for the event.

c. Seek for potential partners, collaborators and sponsors.

d. Taking permissions from legal authorities to conduct the event in public place

3.2. COLLABORATION AND SPONSORSHIP

The event was supported by Nepal Dental Association and various sponsors were brought on board for the support. Pepsodent .and Om Samaj Dental Hospital were the major sponsors for the event which helped managing resources for the event.

3.3. EVENT PREPARATION

• Permissions to conduct the event were taken from District Administration Office, Kathmandu, Kathmandu Metropolitan Office, Metropolitan Police, District Traffic Police.
• Venue management agencies were contacted to make the venue setup and arranging audio equipment for the event.
• T-Shirts were printed.
• Food vendors were contacted for arranging snacks for the events.

3.4 PROMOTION AND REGISTRATION

• Event was promoted through DSSN official social media page in Facebook and Instagram using promotion video and various promotion posters and the information for the event was circulated to the other dental professionals and student groups. Moreover, the invitation letter was sent to each department of all the dental colleges over Nepal.
• The registration form was created using Google Forms and  was shared through the social media announcement.

Social Media Links

• Facebook- Click Here
• Instagram- Click Here

4. PARTICIPANTS

• A total of 257 participants registered for the event, with 87.4% being students. The remaining attendees included faculty members who were specialized dentists, a few general dentists, and marketing representatives from various suppliers and manufacturing companies
• Many renowned personalities were present in the event among whom the most notable were:

a. Dr. Pranay Shakya, President of Nepal Dental Association

b. Dr. Bishwo Prakash Thakur, General Secretary and other officials of Nepal Dental Association (NDA)

c. Dr. Prakash Budhathoki, Head of HEDMU/HEOC, Ministry of Health and Population Nepal

d. Dr. Neil Pandey, President of Nepalese Society of Implant Dentistry

e. Mr. Sunoj Bhattarai, Former Head Coach of National Cricket Team of Nepal

f. Dr. Santosh Upadhyaya, Former Mr. Nepal

5. ACTIVITY DETAILS

Our Activities were categorized into 3 events:

a. Run Session

b. Talk Session and

c. Meditation Session

5.1. RUN SESSION

• The participants gathered for the session at 6:30 am and shortly after the gathering of almost all the participants the World Oral Health Day themed T-shirts were distributed.
• The participants began the run from Kathmandu Durbar Square at 7:00 a.m., following a route through Jamal and Durbar Marg to Naxal Narayanchaur, covering a total distance of 2.8 km. Along the way, they enthusiastically shouted this year’s theme: 'A Happy Mouth is a Happy Mind.' After approximately 20 minutes, they reached the destination, where they were provided with snacks and water, and took time to rest.

5.2. TALK SESSION

To discuss this years theme “ A Happy Mouth is ....a Happy Mind” a talk session was organized following the run session. The speakers were: 

a. Mr. Bijay Chapagain (Msc in Psychology) where he talked on how healthy smile can promote healthy mental state.

b. Sunoj Bhattarai (Professor of Sports Science, former National cricket team coach) where he talked about the importance of dentistry in sports.

Other  Notable Speakers were:

c. Dr. Neil Pande (President, NSID)

d. Dr. Pranay Shakya (President, NDA)

e. Dr. Sandip Chaudhary (President, DSSN)

All attendees were seated in a large circle, creating an open and inclusive environment. Dr. Gautam led them through basic meditation techniques, simple yoga postures, and breathing exercises designed to reduce stress and promote focus. She also highlighted how regular mindfulness practices can improve emotional well-being and professional performance.

5.3. MEDITATION SESSION

The meditation session was one of the key highlights of the event, thoughtfully included to emphasize the vital connection between oral health and mental well-being. Aimed particularly at students and dental professionals, the session underlined the importance of mental health and stress management in the demanding healthcare field.

The session offered participants a refreshing and reflective break, encouraging them to incorporate such healthy practices into their personal and professional lives. It left a lasting impression, reinforcing the idea that caring for one’s mental health is just as important as physical health—especially in the field of dentistry.

Leading the session was Dr. Roshni Gautam, a professional yoga trainer and a prestigious Art in Medicine Fellow, known for integrating wellness practices into medical settings. With her expert guidance, participants were encouraged to take a mindful pause from their daily routines and focus on inner calm and mental clarity.

6. OUTCOMES AND IMPACT

6.1. OUTCOMES

• Increased awareness among public about oral health in general public.
• Increased awareness among participants about the connection between oral health and mental health
• Participants learned about importance of physical activity, meditation and yoga in managing stress in daily life and adopting healthy lifestyles.
• Increased unity between young dental students and veteran dental professionals.

6.2. MEDIA/Press IMPACT

Event was covered by various media personnel. We were able to broadcast news regarding our event and message we want to spread in various online and on-television media channels.

a. AV News- National Popular Television Channel Click Here

b. AV News Facebook News Portal- More than 30k views- Click Here

c. Online Khabar Online News portal with 2.2 million Followers. The news showed massive 480 number of shares- Click Here

d. Annapurna Post- Click Here

e. Health News Nepal.com- Click Here

6.3. SOCIAL MEDIA IMPACT

Post-Event Reels and Pictures were posted in the official pages of DSSN which showed huge amount of views and engagement. Public Image committee of DSSN did a wonderful job in this aspect with more than 4k reach in various reels. The post event videos were shared in various professional Facebook groups as well.

Clickable Links here:

a. Instagram: Click Here

7. UTILIZATION OF FDI THEME AND RESOURCES

Our organization realizes that this year theme is really meaningful and carries heavy message within itself. Thus, to promote this year theme the talk and meditation session was included in the event.

Toothie was with us throughout our event as our oral health day ambassador. Students and professionals were wearing T-shirts printed with big toothies photo doing mediation. World Oral Health Day logo were everywhere in the Tshirts and Banners.

Throughout the event “Happy Mouth is.....a Happy Mind” theme was given shoutout among the public mass and was also printed in the back of the T-shirt. Many students made reels in Toothies Happy Mouth Song.

So, in overall FDI’s resources were really helpful for us to design our props and materials.

8. CONCLUSION

“Run for Oral Health” event can be concluded as a grand success which made a remarkable impact in the general public and dental community. This was the first event of its kind that happened to celebrate in Nepal. This event also depicted the unity between young dental students and veteran professionals. The success of this event will encourage more event like this and finally oral health awareness among general public will be increased.