We all know that our Teeth’s look and condition can affect a lot of things in our everyday life—from confidence, to looks and aesthetic, to health and lifestyle but it’s more than just that! From the way we talk, the way we eat and enjoy food, and how we present ourself, Teeth plays a more crucial role than we know. A sweet smile boost one’s confidence, but losing the ability to can change a great difference on an individual’s self-esteem and image which result to losing and missing out a lot from life and opportunities.
Last March 24, 2023, Polident’s OPLAN Balik-Ngiti was held at Trinoma’s activity center. There, they explained all about the advocacy project which aims to help Filipinos reclaim their lives by making dentures accessible to them together with education on proper denture care.
Credible news sources claim that one in three Filipinos has dentures. It is the highest denture incidences in the world, making the Philippines the highest in Southeast Asia. The world’s best dental appliance care provider, Polident, collaborates with the Philippine Dental Association or also known as PDA and the Philippine Association of Registered Dental Technologists or also known as PARDTI to help solve this problem and restore the joy to the Filipino smile and as well as a part of its global purpose of Every Mouth Matters.
The campaign aims to improve Filipinos’ quality of life by restoring their self-confidence so they can unleash their inner and hidden full potential and enjoy the best moments of their lives. The program includes free dental checkups, free dentures, free denture care kits which includes Polident Adhesive, Polident Cleanser, and a leaflet to educate the reader, and free denture care education in 30 barangays within 10 different cities nationwide from the end of March until June 2023.
“We at Haleon are committed to empowering more people to be included in opportunities for better everyday health which includes restoring lost teeth by funding access to dentures and partnering with the most credible organizations when it comes to oral health. And we are glad we are kicking off this advocacy right in the same week as World Oral Health Day,” said Jeffrey Go, General Manager of Haleon Philippines and Indonesia. Haleon is a global leader in consumer health, with brands trusted by millions of consumers globally such as Polident.
According to the 2018 National Survey on Oral Health, The high incidence of oral health diseases accounted for 72% of Filipinos having dental caries (tooth decay) and 43% of Filipinos suffer from gum disease. The program is also giving away a thousand free dentures which also means, transforming a thousand lives. This is to battle against the limited access to dentists and proper oral hygiene products. By giving away at least 50,000 denture care kits, Polident also gives priority to those that already have dentures and promotes denture care education.
Many Filipinos do not have access to (but or are not privileged enough for) healthcare plans, and even if they did, dentures are rarely covered by healthcare. This leaves a lot of Filipinos having problems with various teeth problems and some even resort to unregistered and illegitimate dental practitioners that put their safety at risk. This is also very relevant because of the rise of denture usage among young consumers.
Dr. Che del Rosario of the Philippine Dental Association, Inc. (PDA) shared that “According to the National Oral survey of 2018, approximately 3 out of 10 adult Filipinos wear removable dentures and many more are in danger of suffering from losing teeth with the very significantly high prevalence in tooth decay and gum disease.”
The alarming statistics on tooth loss and different teeth problems reveal that many Filipinos are enforced to start wearing dentures at a young age. Contrary to popular belief, the majority of people who wear dentures are not necessarily elderly people. In reality 41% of the estimated 30 million Filipinos with dentures are younger than 35.
Dr. Ronaldo Nunez, a member of PDA and the President of PARDTI shared that “Many Filipinos requiring dentures couldn’t get one due to many factors including financial constraints. The cost of partial dentures varies from an estimate of Php5,000 to Php20,000 depending on the types of material and number of teeth to be replaced. And when a person needs full dentures, that becomes even more costly.”
The event was also hosted by DJ Chacha and there, they invited four social media personalities. Maeyen Gomez, a registered nurse and content creator, narrated how losing one’s teeth can make a person lose confidence. Uldario Molina Jr. or also popularly known as “Negi”, a comedian who’s known for his comedic appearances in various Television Shows of ABS-CBN. both Gomez and Molina expressed how getting dentures have been positively life-changing for them both at work and their personal lives. They also remarked how having dentures gave them the confidence to smile with assurance knowing that they are now more mindful of their dental health, and to carry on enjoying their best lives while they are also doing proper care for their dentures with the appropriate products and supplies.
“Filipinos are very talented and skillful people. However, many of them can miss achieving their
full potential and experience in life due to a lack of confidence rooted in tooth loss impacting
how they smile, speak, eat, and laugh,” Go added.
There is still plenty to be done about the country’s healthcare access but it is a great start. Everyone deserves life-changing health treatments and Polident is fighting for a more inclusive healthcare system to ensure every Filipino has the access to dentures to empower them to achieve better well-being and quality of life without the burden of missing teeth.
