A study shows that the Philippines has the highest number of denture wearers in Southeast Asia — 1 in 3 adults or nearly 30 million Filipinos. But what’s more surprising is that almost half of the denture wearers are aged 18 to 34 —also known as the millennial or Gen Z cluster.
Although having false teeth, may it be partial or full, is prevalent in the country, there is a stigma attached to wearing them so there is little discussion about the topic. As a result, most denture wearers exercise poor cleansing and maintenance. Approximately 16 percent of this population do not clean their dentures.
To address the need to educate the public on proper denture care and hygiene, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Consumer Healthcare partners with the Philippine Prosthodontic Society (PPS) to launch a public education campaign #NewKindOfConfidence. It aims to jumpstart conversations on this mostly taboo subject and teach the importance of taking care of dentures.
Understanding the younger denture wearers
Younger people in general have to deal with a lot of insecurities when it comes to their appearance. Anything that would differentiate themselves from their peers can be a source of worry. Embarrassed, wearers are reduced to hiding the fact they have dentures.
As part of the awareness and educational campaign, GSK Consumer Healthcare and PPS are launching the first ever Denture Care Day in the country, marking June 25 as the annual celebration. The event centers around a series of informative and personal talks that highlight what wearers face every day. Actual young denture wearers share their insights on how proper denture care and hygiene play a big role in overcoming the barriers and limitations of wearing dentures.
“The number of people with false teeth in the country is growing and diversifying, with younger generations now taking a big share of the market,” says Ritesh Pandey, GSK Consumer Healthcare Philippines General Manager. “This age group enjoys an active lifestyle, putting prime concern on living life to the fullest. However, Filipinos perceive having dentures as hindrance in doing even the simplest things such as eating, laughing and getting intimate with their partners. We want to give young denture wearers a new kind of confidence to go about their everyday lives carefree and without distractions by providing specialized denture care solutions.”
Specialized care for dentures
Unlike real teeth, dentures are softer and more sensitive. That’s why the number one denture brand Polident developed innovative solutions to address common distractions of having false teeth.
Using toothpaste when cleaning dentures can cause microscopic abrasions where food and plaque builds up. This causes stains and deterioration of the denture frame, compromising the support it gives to the wearer. Polident’s cleanser tablet has a 4-in-1 cleansing system that is gentle on denture material, cleans without scratching, kills 10x more bacteria, and provides deep clean in just 10 minutes. The tablet only needs to be dissolved in water where false teeth are soaked for deep cleansing.
Denture frames also do not adjust to the growth or shrinkage of the mouth’s bone structure. As a result it gradually becomes loose, making a gap between the frame and the oral walls. When this happens, food gets trapped in the gaps and causes gum irritation and bad breath. Polident offers adhesives to close the spaces and keep dentures in place for a natural feel and look of the teeth.
For more information about Polident, visit polident.com.ph or facebook.com/PolidentPH.
Also read: Dental problems might be more common than you think!