GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare Sdn Bhd (“GSK”), the manufacturer of Polident, the no.1 denture care brand in Malaysia, aims to empower denture wearers with denture care knowledge and bring back their confidence through its ‘Eat, Speak and Smile with Confidence’ educational forum held recently.
Living with dentures is a topic that few people feel comfortable to open up about, especially with their peers. Denture-wearing is usually considered as a sign of ageing, but there are people who start their journey with dentures from as early as 38 years old. Consequently, dentures are a lot more common than many people may think. In fact, denture wearers make up about 10% of the Malaysian population.
“Wearing dentures can have a significant impact on a persons’ self-esteem, especially if it is the person’s first time wearing dentures. Patients often worry that by wearing dentures, they would not be able to speak or eat normally, and they usually fear that dentures will drastically change the way they look,” said Dr Natasya Ahmad Tarib, Prosthodontist and Senior Lecturer in Faculty of Dentistry Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Dr Natasya added that as a result of low self-esteem, denture wearers often tend to be reluctant to discuss their social and functional challenges regarding their dentures, inadvertently causing them to face the challenges of living with dentures alone.
“Some of the common challenges faced by denture wearers include how well their dentures fit in their mouths, as well as how to ensure the cleanliness of the dentures, which can have a significant impact on both their comfort and oral health. They are also concerned about their floating dentures, where their dentures become loose, while they eat or speak, possibly leading to an embarrassing moment. However, with the right understanding of denture care and education, denture wearers can be more confident,” Dr Natasya said.
The ‘Eat, Speak and Smile with Confidence’ forum brought together experts, denture wearers and members of the media in a highly interactive session which encouraged attendees to speak openly about their experiences living with dentures and the challenges they faced. By publicly initiating the conversation about dentures, the event aimed to address their impact on wearers, both physically and emotionally, and drive exchange in denture-wearing solutions.
Alycia Tan, Marketing Manager Oral Care, GSK Consumer Healthcare Sdn Bhd said, “This year, GSK is celebrating 60 years of building healthier communities in Malaysia, and we are committed to enhancing the standard of oral healthcare across the country. Through this event, we hope to address the feelings of anxiety and isolation commonly seen amongst denture wearers, empowering them to eat, speak and smile with confidence.”
The programme also featured educational demonstrations which aimed to equip attendees with the knowledge on how to best care for their dentures.
“Taking good care of the dentures themselves is extremely important. As with teeth, dentures are prone to developing plaque, tartar and stains, and so a daily cleaning routine is essential to maintain your oral hygiene. However, dentures are not indestructible – they are 10 times softer than natural teeth. Hence, wearers need to be vigilant in taking the best possible care when cleaning their dentures to prevent damage,” Dr Natasya stated.
Polident offers denture care products formulated to provide a firmer hold and cleaner dentures, to improve the comfort and oral health of people who wear dentures or partials. The Polident low-abrasive denture cleansers are formulated specifically to keep your dentures clean, fresh and to maintain daily oral hygiene. It kills 99.9% of odour-causing bacteria and its non-abrasive formula cleans dentures without scratching its surface pores thereby preventing bacterial growth. Meanwhile, Polident’s range of denture adhesives are formulated to improve denture comfort by holding dentures tight for up to 12 hours and sealing out irritating food particles, giving wearers the confidence and reassurance to live through the day without worries.
“We want to encourage denture wearers to use the best possible solutions to ensure optimal oral health and comfort in their dentures’ fixture. As a continuation of our ‘Eat, Speak and Smile with Confidence’ initiative, throughout July and August we are giving denture wearers the chance to try our Polident products with our Polident Money Back Guarantee programme nationwide,” said Alycia.
“Additionally, we are delighted to collaborate with the Malaysian Dental Association to provide denture wearers with free denture check-ups during the month of July at participating dental clinics nationwide. We are certain that our efforts, together with our Polident products that provides denture wearers with a firmer hold and cleaner dentures, we will be bringing back those confident smiles,” Alycia concluded.
To find your nearest participating clinic, visit the Polident website at https://www.polident.com.my.
