Aktion Zahnfreundlich e.V. celebrates 30 years of oral health promotion.
April 1, 2015
Aktion Zahnfreundlich e.V. celebrates 30 years of oral health promotion.
The year was 1985: the Berlin Wall was still dividing Germany, the Euro was a distant dream and sugar-free chewing gum only a recent novelty. It was also the year when a group of prevention-minded dentists teamed up for a German Toothfriendly initiative. Since thirty years, the “Zahnmännchen” label – the smiling tooth under a protective umbrella – is the association’s guide to products which are guaranteed safe for teeth.
Established to promote oral health, Aktion Zahnfreundlich e.V. is a non-profit association based in Berlin, Germany. It was founded in 1985, building on the experience of the Swiss initiative with similar mission. The association’s main function is to promote products – confectionery, beverages, OTC medicine – which are not harmful for teeth. In order to carry the association’s “Toothfriendly” label, the products have to be scientifically tested and proven to be without significant cariogenic and erosive potential. Based on the measurement of the pH of dental plaque, the test is a standardized one carried out by three appointed independent university institutes.
According to the association’s Country Manager Hedi von Bergh, the group brings together the interests of the consumers, health professionals and the industry. For consumers the “Zahnmännchen” label serves as a reliable guide to toothfriendly confectionery; for dentists it offers a means for providing positive dietary advice about confectionery to patients, and for the confectionery industry, the logo represents a quality mark that helps communicate the product’s and the company’s engagement for better dental health.
For more information, see www.zahnmaennchen.de