The Colgate Rural Initiative, targeted at rural areas with a population

between thirty and a hundred thousand people, aimed at disseminating

information and spreading the message of oral hygiene to children and their
families in schools and rural centres. To this effect, Colgate conducted dental
check ups in along with various activities at schools.

The dental check up camps were supervised by teams of dentists and

organisers who interacted with over 1 lakh people teaching them the benefits
of oral hygiene. Children were targeted through “infotainment” – activities
that included interactive activities like essay writing and painting
competitions centred around the “Spread a Smile” theme.

Colgate, a company also tied up with ITC E-Choupal and Rotary to spread
the message of dental care and oral hygiene to villages across India.

The campaign successfully targeted over 156 villages in Uttar Pradesh in

association with Project Disha and 36 villages in Maharashtra. In addition,
dental camps were also conducted in the Dussera Mela at Kota.

Dental checkups and school activities have succeeded in spreading the

message of 'Zero Tooth Decay' to children and adults in around 433 villages
and towns, bringing a brighter, bigger smile to rural India. This grass
root initiative went a long way in helping Colgate touch base with consumers
in the interiors.