The Truth About Dentures Revealed

Whether it’s caused by improper dental care, an accident, a birth defect, or just plain old age, tooth loss is very common in the Philippines. 

A study, “Oral Care U&A Market Understanding Study Middle East and Asia” conducted in July 2014 revealed that there are nine million denture wearers in the Philippine urban areas alone, sixty one percent of who are female, while thirty nine percent are male. 

“The study reported that eighty percent of denture wearers reside in Metro Manila, with nine percent in Metro Cebu and six percent in Metro Davao. Fifty six percent cited careless oral regimen as the reason for wearing dentures, while nineteen percent attributed wearing dentures and teeth loss due to accident, and twelve percent due to illness,” said Isa Marfori, GSK Polident product manager. 

Among the major reasons cited for this high incidence are Filipino’s limited access to oral care and unaffordable dentist fees. 

Dentures, which are cheaper than dental implants and porcelain veneers, are considered the best substitute for missing teeth. The huge prevalence of tooth decay, gum disease, and the gradual ageing of the population in the developed world contribute to the steady increase in the demand for dentures. 

While dentures are easier to clean with simple warm water or with specialized denture cleaners, prejudices against dentures remain prevalent amongst Filipinos. Among these misconceptions are: 

• Denture wearers did not take care of their teeth. One of the biggest myths is that those who wear dentures had been neglectful of their dental health. The fact is, several factors may contribute to tooth loss, among which are accidents, sports mishaps, facial tumors, or birth defects such as cleft palates. 

• Dentures make one look older. Many people believe that dentures are for older people. Denture wearers also feel old and suffer from self-loathing and lack of self-confidence whenever they remove their false teeth or see the dentures soaking in a glass. Properly secured dentures make them look natural. The key is to make sure the dentures fit snugly in the mouth by using a good denture adhesive. 

• Dentures limit one’s daily functions. Many believe that denture wearers lose the pleasure of eating anything they want. Food such as corn, steak, or anything that challenges the bite is a no-no. Furthermore, denture wearers become self-conscious when speaking for fear of a denture mishap. However, this will not happen if the dentures are of proper and exact fit. Securely fastened dentures give wearers the confidence to eat anything they want or speak without covering their mouths. 

Belying myths and misconceptions, Polident, a line of denture care products by GlaxoSmithKline, aims to give back confidence to denture wearers and allow them to pursue regular activities such as speaking and eating without fear and with so much pleasure. 

Polident Denture Cleanser, for instance, is formulated to clean dentures, remove stains, and kill 99.9 percent of odor-causing particles. Many denture wearers use regular toothpaste to clean dentures, which shouldn’t be the case. Toothpaste contains abrasives that scratch dentures, leaving small holes where bacteria can collect and grow. Toothpaste also contains bleaching chemicals that damage dentures and whiten its pink portion. 

Polident Denture Adhesive Cream, on the other hand, helps secure dentures properly and seals off gaps to stop food particles from getting into the dentures. Applying Polident Denture Adhesive Cream on the dentures once a day helps fasten it securely for up to twelve hours. 

Polident dares denture wearers to live a healthy life free of inhibitions by taking the Polident Challenge. For free samples and delivery nationwide of both Polident Denture Cleanser and Polident Adhesive Cream, call 924-2475.