SEPA and Listerine Forge Global Strategic Alliance

The SEPA Foundation and LISTERINE® have united under the banner of “Principles for Oral Health,” a bold global initiative aimed at advancing periodontal health and ensuring that oral healthcare professionals worldwide have access to essential tools for primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention of periodontitis.

Launching the first project under this collaborative endeavor, titled “Essentials,” the focus is squarely on assessing the efficacy and value of antiseptics and clinically proven antibacterial mouthwashes featured in the EFP S3 systematic reviews. The initiative aims to distill key insights regarding the current usage and adjunctive role of mouthwashes in mechanical plaque removal.

Dr. Paula Matesanz, vice president of SEPA (Spanish Society of Periodontology), emphasizes the importance of promoting periodontal health through easily implementable criteria and reinforcing prevention as a daily practice.

“We must promote periodontal health with clear criteria that are easy to implement among the general population, reinforcing prevention as a daily habit, while facilitating access to existing scientific evidence for oral health professionals,” says Dr Matesanz in a press release.

Global Reach

The impact of these endeavors will be felt globally, with particular attention directed towards 7 key countries: Spain, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Brazil, and the United States.

Dr. Soha Dattani, director and head of scientific engagement at Listerine® Oral Care, EMEA, is one of many clinicians expressing enthusiasm for the ambitious project. She adds in the press release, “We are excited about this ambitious project and the potential it has to improve people’s oral health.”

A central component of the initiative involves assembling a cadre of global opinion leaders tasked with formulating practical recommendations on the use of oral antiseptics to manage plaque biofilm and inflammation in patients undergoing supportive periodontal therapy. Dr Matesanz, a member of the Etiology and Therapy of Periodontal and Peri-implant Diseases Research Group(ETEP) of the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), leads this effort, supported by Dr. David Herrera and a panel of distinguished experts.

Among the key opinion leaders from Europe are those from Italy (FilippoGraziani, University of Pisa, SIdP); experts from the UK (Nicola West, University of Bristol, BSP-EFP and Iain Chapple, University of Birmingham); from France (Marjolanie Gosset, Université Paris Cité, APHP, and president del French Society of Periodontology and Oral Implantology, SFPIO); from Germany (Henrik Dommisch,Universitätsmedizin Berlín, DG Paro); from Spain (Elena Figueroand Ana Molina,ETEP Research Group of UCM, SEPA; Beatriz De Tapia, International University of Catalonia); Ricardo Fischer, representing the University of Rio de Janeiro and the Brazilian Society of Periodontology, Sobrapi;and the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Clinical Periodontology (JCP), Panos Papapanou,also representing the American Academy of Periodontology. Given the preventive nature of the project, Rhiannon Jones, from Cardiff University and the British Society of Dental Hygiene and Therapy, will also contribute.

The expert consensus session is scheduled for April 5 at The House of Gums, a SEPA facility in Madrid, Spain dedicated to promoting periodontal, oral, and general health.

To foster collaboration and collective action towards better public health outcomes, the project seeks substantial institutional support. Dr Matesanz adds in the press release, “the collaboration with medical scientific societies and universities will also be a critical component in order for this project to become a point of reference for the dental community.”

SEPA, a global nonprofit scientific organization with over 65 years of experience, serves as a cornerstone in international periodontology, boasting strong ties to prestigious societies and federations worldwide.