How people are getting their smiles back

Smile and the whole world will smile back at you.

Jeff, a 32-year-old tricycle driver from Muntinlupa has needed dentures for over one year after suffering from irreparable tooth damage due to severe decay. With his lost teeth being in front and having no access to dentures, Jeff has been experiencing insecurity and has avoided showing his teeth to others with the help of wearing face masks. Lorena, a 44-year-old housewife from Muntinlupa, also shared the same sentiments in being conscious and losing her confidence as her affected teeth were in front and at the sides, which made it extremely noticeable when she smiles or speaks. Although she was used to the feeling of not having teeth, she tends to avoid smiling in any way that her lacking teeth could be visible, especially when she is among her peers.

Like Jeff and Lorena, there are some people who are afraid, if not anxious, to fully smile. Not because they are frightened of being happy but because they are worried about getting laughed at by other people for not having complete teeth.

Teeth may become loose, fall out, or decay due to a lack of oral hygiene. People may also experience periodontitis or gum disease which 40% of people deal with, and about 70% of these people experience tooth loss.

Locally, tooth decay and gum disease has caused many Filipinos to wear removable dentures and many more are in danger of suffering from losing teeth. According to the National Oral Survey of 2018, more Filipinos still need dentures like the consumers featured because 72% of Filipinos have tooth decay which can often lead to tooth loss.

Pregnancy may also cause teeth to become loose as raised levels of estrogen and progesterone may alter the periodontium causing the bones and tissues in the mouth to be affected. While other reasons for teeth to become loose may be due to injury, and osteoporosis which causes the bones to weaken and become porous.

However, some people may not be understanding of one's circumstances which results to having people with tooth gaps receiving unwelcoming and funny looks from others.

To help bring back the smile ofFilipinos , Polident – a denture care and solutions expert has teamed up with dental experts from the Philippine Dental Association, Inc. (PDA) and the Philippine Association of Registered Dental Technologists, Inc. (PARDTI) for 'Oplan Balik-Ngiti' aiming to help transform the lives of Filipinos by providing them ease of access to dentures and a strong education on proper denture care. This would help denture wearers like Jeff and Lorena reclaim the opportunities, experiences and self-confidence lost due to having missing teeth.

Aligned with the mission of Haleon – the home to consumer health brands trusted by millions of consumers globally, to help empower more people for better everyday health.

The advocacy was kicked off last March 24, the same week as World Oral Health Day. Attended by dentists from PDA and PARDTI, media partners, and influencers including Negi and Mae Gomez, who are actual denture wearers, and Arshie Larga and Mikey Bustos, who knows someone wearing dentures.

Reaching at least 30 different barangays in 10 major cities in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao such as Manila, Quezon City, Caloocan, Muntinlupa, Dasmariñas, Cavite, Laguna, Malolos, Bulacan, San Fernando, Pampanga, Cebu, and Davao, Polident’s Oplan Balik-Ngiti' targets to transform 1,000 lives by providing them with free dentures It will also provide at least 50,000 existing denture wearers free denture care kits to ensure they keep their oral hygiene.

"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 P5,000 to P20,000 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," says Dr. Ronaldo Nuñez, a member of PDA and the President of PARDTI.

The Philippines has over 30 million denture wearers with 74% of them even younger than 50 years old.

Every Filipino has the right to accessible health treatments, and dental care is sorely overlooked. In light of making dentures more accessible to our fellow countrymen like Jeff and Lorena, Polident, along with the PDA and PARDTI, is taking the first step to making healthcare more inclusive and to ensure every Filipino has the access to dentures to help them achieve a better well-being and quality of life without the burden of missing teeth.

To know more about Polident's projects, including 'Oplan Balik-Ngiti', visit their website.