Azerbaijani Society of Periodontology I Gum Health Day Azerbaijan 2020

Gingivitis, periodontitis, and peri-implantitis are chronic, inflammatory gum diseases that affect hundreds of millions of adults worldwide. Unfortunately, gum diseases are still poorly acknowledged by the public, even though scientific evidence shows that they may pose a threat to general health as they are associated with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, rheumatoid arthritis, certain forms of cancer, pregnancy complications, erectile dysfunction, and other serious or chronic conditions.

Azerbaijani Society of Periodontology has actively celebrated 12 May Gum Health Day, an international awareness day, jointly organized by the European Federation of Periodontology and its affiliated members. Activities took place under the slogan “Say No To Bleeding Gums”. The aim of this day, which has been actively celebrated in Azerbaijan for 5 years, was to raise public awareness about the importance of gum health around teeth and implants, to emphasize the role of early diagnosis and treatment of gum disease, and highlight its relevant relationship with pregnancy, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases in Azerbaijani population, especially during the new coronavirus (COVID-19) disease pandemic. The European Federation of Periodontology and its affiliated societies have organized a wide variety of social awareness events online because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Dr. Cavid Ahmedbeyli, President of Azerbaijani Society of Periodontology, has delivered “Periodontal health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Periodontal surgery in an outpatient clinical practice.” 2 hours online webinar to the dentists involved in the state continuing dental education program at the Azerbaijani State Advanced Training Institute for Doctors Department of Stomatology and Maxillofacial Surgery. Dr. Aslan Mammadov, European Federation of Periodontology Delegate of Azerbaijani Society of Periodontology, organized online webinar “Early diagnosis of periodontal diseases. Current treatment and prevention approaches” to the students and residents of Azerbaijan Medical University Dental School. Dr. Rovshan Mammadov, Gum Health Day 2020 Azerbaijani coordinator, has actively promoted and informed the general dentists, medical professionals, specialists, public and Society members about the importance of Gum Health Day via different awareness-raising events, such as webinars, social media campaigns, and live sessions on Instagram and Facebook, conducted in national language. A press release dedicated to Gum Health Day and its activities in Azerbaijan and worldwide were disseminated via main state news agency, Azerbaijani Ministry of Health and university websites.