NEWS RELEASE
Smile Pilipinas aims to promote oral health to every Filipino
Smile Pilipinas aims to educate Filipinos of the importance of oral health through campaigns.
A program that aims to bring back the
healthy smiles of Filipinos has been launched by the UP Dental Alumni
Association (UPDAA) in partnership with global oral care brand Oral-B. The
program, called Smile Pilipinas and
launched in time for the 100th year of the UP College of Dentistry,
aims to uplift the deteriorating state of oral health in the country through an
extensive campaign that enjoins the support of each and every Filipino.
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| UP College of Dentistry unveils the Centennial Wall of Donors |
According to UPDAA President Dr.
Jocelyn L. Tan of the UPCD, the program was conceptualized in response to
alarming results of a study that revealed 9 out of ten Filipinos suffer from
dental caries and worse, the Philippines has the 2nd worst rate of decayed, missing
and filled teeth in all of Asia. “We cannot let this happen to our citizens and
our children,” added Dr. Tan. “We need to do something but we, the oral care
professionals, cannot do it alone. We need the support and cooperation of
everyone – the parents, the educators and ordinary citizens. And that’s the
reason we launched Smile Pilipinas.”
The movement has found a strong
supporter in Oral-B, the brand known worldwide for its commitment to promoting
healthy smiles. “When the opportunity to be a key partner for Smile Pilipinas
was offered to us, we knew we had to be a part of it.This is a great
opportunity for Oral-B to do something concrete about improving the quality of
oral health in the Philippines, kick-starting a movement that will involve both
the professional body as well as regular consumers.’ said Suranjan Magesvaran, Procter
& Gamble Vice President, Home Products, Power and Oral Care, Asia.
During the launch which coincided with
the centennial celebration of UP College of Dentistry (UPCD) and spearheaded by
UPDAA, the three focus areas of the program were presented, namely, Advocacy,
Public Good and Fund Raising.
Under communication, Smile Pilipinas will call upon Filipinos
– inside and outside of the Philippines -- to get on-board and help spread
inspiration for better oral health. The program has five fundamental messages: 1) Our smiles are
fundamental to our identity, 2) Let’s bring oral health within reach of all
Filipinos, 3) Everyone can easily help improve oral health in the country, 4) We
need to take care of our children’s teeth, and 5) We should all practice better
oral health care habits.
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| Having proper oral health care is a good way to maintain overall general well being. |
Its Public Good initiatives include
Unang Ngipin Patibayin and SuperSmileCon2015. Unang Ngipin Patibayin is a
public health initiative organized in partnership with Pateros and Pasig to provide
oral health education and preventive measures for children and parents. SuperSmileCon2015, on the other hand, is an
oral wellness fair for kids with free dental consultations, dental varnish
application, games, stage shows, and dental health education.
 |
| Dean Vicente O. Medina III of Up College of Dentistry graciously answered questions from the media. |
To sustain its activities, the program
will be accepting public and corporate generosity of time, talent, treasure,
through donations, sponsorships and sale of Smile
Pilipinas merchandise sales via retail partners.
Top actress and Oral-B brand ambassador
Iza Calzado, who graced the launch of Smile
Pilipinas, likewise thanks both partners and echoed the concern over the
country’s deteriorating oral health condition. “Let’s not take this important
aspect of our health for granted. As our oral health professionals have
repeatedly said, oral health is a vital part of over-all health. It’s part of
our personality, our heritage as a Filipino. Let’s maintain the warmth and
beauty of our smiles by learning how to care for our mouth, gums and teeth.”
 |
| Actress Iza Calzado rendered a speech about the value of oral health and shared her oral hygiene practices. |
With the country’s top oral
health professionals joined by the world’s leading oral care brand in launching
the Smile Pilipinas, there may yet be
hope for the state of oral health in the country. But, as Magesvaran stressed,
there’s a lot of work to be done. “It’s very important that Filipinos across
the country understand the importance of good oral health that leads to a
beautiful, healthy smile. That’s why we enjoin everyone to support this project
so it can attain its mission of “100% Healthy Smiles for every Filipino.”
 |
| Dr. Jocelyn L. Tan explained the objectives of Smile Pilipinas. |
Adds
Dr. Tan: “Oral health cannot be seen as separate from our total health and
hygiene. If we all work together, we can bring oral health within reach of all
Filipinos. “
*P&G
Calculation based on Nielsen sales information from July 2012 to June 2013
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NOTE: I managed to throw in some questions as part of the discussion and it was answered by Dean Medina and the rest of the panel.
- What specific actions will Smile Pilipinas take to spread the awareness of oral health in a barangay level? Dean Medina explained that there are on going campaign on several barangays around the metro conducting seminars to public dental professionals, offering free oral cancer screening as well as propagating the importance of oral health.
- Is this a nationwide campaign? Yes, given the resources and proper funding and with the help of Procter and Gamble through Oral-B it aims to deliver oral awareness and good oral health to the rest of the country.
- What type of toothpaste is best to use? The answer was plain and simple "Use a toothpaste with the correct amount of fluoride".
- What is the correct amount and how will we (the public) know? "Look for a toothpaste that has 1,500 parts per million which should be indicated on the package".
- How about herbal toothpastes? "Any toothpaste without fluoride is useless since it is scientifically proven that fluoride protects our teeth."
- Any tips on proper brushing? "Brush your teeth for two minutes. It is recommended to have an application of fluoride varnish for children to prevent tooth decay and oral disease."
- How young a child should be to have a fluoride varnish treatment? "As soon as baby teeth appear as young as 6 months."
- Is it too late for an 8-year old kid to have fluoride varnish? "No, even adults can have this treatment."
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