Gum Health Day 2026: Taking Gum Health Beyond the Clinic
Gum Health Day will look a little different in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire today and much harder to miss!
FitSmile, the Aberdeen-based community social enterprise founded by dental hygienist Plamena (Victoria) Mya, is launching The Big Tooth Challenge: a public awareness campaign designed to bring practical gum health advice directly into local communities.
Victoria will cycle a cargo bike towing a giant tooth sculpture through towns and neighbourhoods across the region, stopping at key locations to speak with the public, share simple gum health tips and encourage open conversations about oral health.
The campaign reflects the mission behind FitSmile: making gum health information accessible to people who may never step into a clinic due to cost, anxiety, lack of awareness, or uncertainty about where to begin.
“Too many people only seek help once there’s pain or serious problems,” says Victoria. “But gum disease is largely preventable. We want to make advice approachable, practical, and available where people already are.”
FitSmile combines digital coaching with direct community engagement, focusing on prevention and education rather than waiting for people to seek treatment. The Big Tooth Challenge is a creative extension of that philosophy using visibility, conversation, and community interaction to make gum health easier to understand and less intimidating.
Victoria brings both clinical expertise and entrepreneurial experience to the initiative. She is a GDC-registered dental hygienist with two business degrees, including an MBA, and is currently completing a BSc in Data Science. Her work bridges healthcare, education and community outreach with a clear goal: improving oral health awareness in ways that feel accessible and human.
As Gum Health Day shines a spotlight on prevention worldwide, FitSmile is proving that meaningful health education doesn’t always happen inside a clinic. Sometimes it starts with a conversation beside a giant tooth on the street.
Well done Victoria for such a fantastic effort and for getting our competition started in such an inspiring way!
#GumHealthDay #EmpoweringLives #BSPerio #EFPerio
