The “Smile Again” campaign by Polident is a meaningful advocacy that empowers Filipinos to take charge of their lives by providing them with access to dentures, as well as education on how to properly care for them.
Losing one’s teeth is not just a matter of aesthetics, but it can be a life-altering experience that affects how a person speaks, eats, and behaves, which is often overlooked. A great smile can boost an individual’s confidence, but losing teeth can lead to a decline in self-esteem, which may impact their confidence and ability to pursue life’s opportunities.
In the Philippines, one in three individuals has dentures, making it the country with the highest denture incidence in Southeast Asia, as per reliable sources. Polident, a global leader in dental appliance care, has teamed up with the Philippine Dental Association (PDA) and the Philippine Association of Registered Dental Technologists (PARDTI) as part of its worldwide mission of Every Mouth Matters, to address this issue and bring back the joy to the Filipino smile.
The initiative aims to enhance the quality of life for Filipinos by restoring their confidence to maximize their potential and experience life’s best moments with their most prominent smile. The campaign involves offering free dental checkups, free dentures, free denture care kits (containing Polident Adhesive, Polident Cleanser, and an informative leaflet), and free denture care training in 30 barangays in ten different cities throughout the country from the end of March until June 2023.
According to Jeffrey Go, General Manager of Haleon Philippines and Indonesia, their company is dedicated to promoting better everyday health and providing access to dentures for more people. To achieve this goal, Haleon partners with credible organizations in the field of oral health. Go emphasized that their company is pleased to launch this advocacy campaign during the same week as World Oral Health Day. Haleon is a well-respected name in consumer health worldwide and is known for brands that are trusted by millions of consumers, such as Polident.
In 2018, the National Survey on Oral Health reported that 72% of Filipinos suffer from dental caries (tooth decay), while 43% have gum diseases. The lack of access to proper dental care and oral hygiene products exacerbates this problem. To address this issue, the Polident OPLAN BALIK-NGITI program is providing 1,000 free dentures to transform 1,000 lives. Additionally, the program is prioritizing existing denture wearers and distributing at least 50,000 denture care kits to promote denture care education.
Additionally, access to healthcare in the Philippines is limited, and even for those who do have healthcare plans, dental care is often not included. This leaves many Filipinos without teeth, or seeking treatment from unlicensed practitioners who may put their safety at risk. The issue is compounded by the fact that denture usage is on the rise among young people in the country. Dr. Che del Rosario of the Philippine Dental Association, Inc. (PDA) notes that, according to the National Oral Survey of 2018, around 3 in 10 adult Filipinos wear removable dentures, with a high prevalence of tooth decay and gum disease. The survey shows that many Filipinos require dentures at an early age, with 41% of the estimated 30 million Filipinos with dentures aged 18-35.
“Financial constraints prevent many Filipinos from obtaining the dentures they need,” says Dr. Ronaldo Nunez, a member of PDA and the President of PARDTI. “The cost of partial dentures can range from approximately Php5,000 to Php20,000 depending on the materials and number of teeth required, and full dentures are even more expensive.”
Registered nurse and content creator Maeyen Gomez and comedian Uldario Molina Jr. (known as “Negi” in various ABS-CBN TV shows) shared their experiences on how losing their teeth had negatively affected their confidence. However, getting dentures changed their lives for the better, enabling them to regain their self-assurance and carry out their daily activities with ease. In addition, having dentures has allowed them to maintain their oral health and continue living life to the fullest with proper denture care using the right products.
Haleon Philippines and Indonesia General Manager Jeffrey Go emphasized that tooth loss can significantly impact one’s confidence, hindering them from achieving their full potential in life. Therefore, Polident is advocating for a more inclusive healthcare system to provide every Filipino with access to life-changing dental treatments, including dentures, to improve their overall well-being and quality of life. While there is still more to be done to address the country’s healthcare access, this is a significant step towards empowering more people to have better oral health and lead fulfilling lives.
