GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare Sdn Bhd (“GSK”), the brand owner of Polident, the no.1 denture care brand in Malaysia[i], is bringing children and their denture wearing parents closer together through its ‘Smile Together With Confidence’ campaign, in conjunction with Parents’ Day, celebrated on the first Sunday of July in Malaysia.

“Our parents have played an important role in the formative years of our lives. They were the ones who bought us our first toothbrush and taught us all about dental hygiene. As we grow up, that role reverses and now it is our turn to take care of our parents’ dental health needs, especially if they are wearing dentures. Hence, the ‘Smile Together with Confidence’ campaign was launched to educate children regarding their parents’ denture care needs,” said Venaig Solinhac, SEA Marketing Director and Digital Lead of GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare.

Polident’s ‘Smile Together with Confidence’ campaign serves as a platform to bring denture wearing parents and their children closer by creating memorable moments with the ‘Dinner in the Sky’ and ‘Plane in the City’ dining experiences. The campaign also aims to raise children’s awareness on the struggles that their parents face with dentures and highlights the importance of having a healthy set of dentures for overall wellbeing.

“Dentures can have a significant impact on a wearer’s quality of life and self-confidence. Some denture wearers feel that dentures impact the way they choose their food, drinks or even affect their interaction with people. Through this campaign, we hope to bring to light the struggles of these denture wearers and help them to smile confidently,” Venaig added.

Venaig Solinhac, SEA Marketing Director and Digital Lead of GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare, giving her introduction speech on GSK’s commitment to support denture wearers’ oral health.

The finale event was graced by key dental experts namely, Dr Leong Kei Joe, President of the Malaysian Dental Association, and Dr Ho Ting Khee, Lecturer and Prosthodontist, Centre for Restorative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, key-partner Guardian Malaysia, denture wearers, and members of the media.

A survey commissioned by GSK to garner insights on denture wearers found that 56% of the denture wearers were not aware of the appropriate ways to keep their dentures clean, opting to use normal toothbrush or toothpaste to clean[ii]. In addition to that, about 49% of these denture wearers do not visit their dentists regularly, but only see them when they have a problem with their dentures².

Dr Ho Ting Khee, Lecturer and Prosthodontist, Centre for Restorative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, giving her presentation on the appropriate ways to take care of dentures.

“The patient should have their oral and denture examination done with their dentists every six months, and not to wait until their teeth or denture have serious problem. I often advise my patients on the proper way to take care of their denture and not to believe in the denture cleaning myths that they find online. Denture wearers should pay attention to their oral hygiene and care to prevent plaque and calculus from forming on the denture base, causing bacteria growth, which will eventually cause bad breath and mouth sores,” shared Dr Ho Ting Khee, Lecturer and Prosthodontist, Centre for Restorative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

(From left to right) Panel discussion with Lee Jing Tzer, CK Lee, Mohd Fadzil Thani bin Abu Bakar, Faridah binti Ab. Rahim, Norsidah binti Kassim, Sharifah Noridayu binti Syied Mhd Safie, Lim Kuk Chye, Manjit Kaur, Dr Leong Kei Joe, President of Malaysian Dental Association, Datuk Yasmin Yusoff (Emcee) about the challenges of wearing dentures and insights of denture care.

“Dentures are typically 10 times softer than regular teeth and assuming that we can clean them using the same methods as normal teeth, only leads to bad oral health and unwanted expenses. Denture wearers should also regularly visit their dentists for check-ups, as prolonging the problem can lead to other complications in their dentures and overall wellbeing as well,” said Dr Leong Kei Joe, President of Malaysian Dental Association.

“At GSK, we are committed to building healthier communities through our products and campaigns. The Polident ‘Smile Together with Confidence’ campaign is an extension of that commitment and we are pleased to have brought together dental experts and families together to learn more about holistic denture hygiene. With a firmer hold and cleaner dentures, we hope to put the confident smiles back on everyone’s face in the family.

“Going forward, we intend to expand on this campaign further and include other areas of oral health. We look to drive conversations and educate Malaysians on healthier smiles, to boost their confidence,” Venaig concluded.

Demonstration of how to use Polident Denture Adhesives and Polident Denture Cleanser with the audience.

About GlaxoSmithKline plc.

GlaxoSmithKline plc. is one of the world’s leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies – is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer.  For further information please visit www.gsk.com.

About GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare Sdn Bhd (“GSK”)

GSK is a subsidiary of GlaxoSmithKline plc. of U.K, one of the world’s largest consumer healthcare companies. We have a heritage that goes back over 160 years. Our purpose is to help more people around the world to do more, feel better and live longer with everyday healthcare products. Our goal is to build a global, growing business – we call a Fast-Moving Consumer Healthcare (FMCH) company – dedicated to everyday healthcare with all of the scientific expertise and quality guarantees that demands, working at the speed and with the genuine consumer understanding the modern world expects.

GlaxoSmithKline plc. globally owns some of the world’s best loved healthcare brands, successful in over 100 countries. These include Sensodyne, Panadol, Polident, Horlicks, Physiogel, Voltaren, Theraflu, Parodontax and Otrivin.

About Polident

Polident, the market leader helps denture wearers have stronger hold and cleaner dentures through their range of products. The Polident Denture Cleanser kills 99.9% of odour-causing bacteria and helps remove plaque and stains when used as directed[iii]. Its non-abrasive formula cleans dentures without scratching its surface pores thereby preventing bacterial growth[iv]. Meanwhile, Polident Denture Adhesive offers 12-hour strong 3D hold for a comfortable fit, provides 38% more bite force[v] and helps seal out food particles, giving wearers the confidence and reassurance to live through the day without worries[vi].

For more information, please visit https://www.mydenturecare.com/en-my/.

[i] Polident. Retrieved June 10, 2019, from https://www.mydenturecare.com/en-my/

[ii] Ipsos. Understanding Denture Wearers. Prepared for: GlaxoSmithKline. (2014).

[iii] Polident® Denture Cleaning Range. Retrieved June 10, 2019, from https://www.mydenturecare.com/en-my/our-products/denture-cleansers/

[iv] Polident Overnight Whitening. Retrieved June 10, 2019, from https://www.mydenturecare.com/en-my/our-products/denture-cleansers/polident-overnight-whitening/

[v] https://www.gsk.com/en-gb/products/our-consumer-healthcare-products/oral-health/polident/

[vi] Polident® Denture Adhesives. Retrieved June 10, 2019, from https://www.mydenturecare.com/en-my/our-products/denture-adhesives/