Partnership on dental health care forged

MANILA, Philippines - It is a joint initiative that has a singular objective: promote good oral hygiene and overall dental health care.

Easier said than done but this partnership between the Philippine Dental Association’s Committee on Dental Public Health (DPH) and Lotte Xylitol, a dental health gum, is a good way to start in the battle against tooth decay, especially among Filipino children, of whom nine out of 10 are afflicted mainly because of lack of information and awareness.

The partnership involves Lotte Xylitol focusing its resources on the DPH’s campaign for oral health awareness, says Therese Reyes, marketing manager of Lotte Xylitol.

This includes providing creative execution of the information education and communication (IEC) materials, foremost of which are various billboards that communicate the four habits of maintaining good oral hygiene — the centerpiece of the DPH’s IEC campaign.

The four habits involve eating a well-balanced diet, using toothpaste with fluoride, brushing, flossing and chewing of a dental health gum, and visiting the dentist at least twice a year.

The printing of the IEC materials is also part of Lotte Xylitol’s involvement, and also the creative development of the mascot aptly named “Captain D,” whose appearance will be part of the campaign’s sorties across the country, specifically in schools and popular malls, and also the media campaign that goes along with it.

Lotte Xylitol is a dental health gum that contains more than 50 percent of “xylitol,” an all-natural and sugar-free sweetener that helps prevent dental caries or “tooth decay.”

It is a natural sweetener that is as sweet as sucrose but cannot be metabolized by tooth decay-causing bacteria.

The presence of xylitol in the mouth prevents bacteria from producing acid that causes the “demineralization” of tooth enamel that would eventually lead to tooth decay.

It is also the only dental health gum in the country recognized by the PDA, as signified by the PDA seal of approval.

“Given the oral health benefits of the active ingredient xylitol, chewing gum is actually the best vehicle to introduce xylitol to the oral cavity as it is kept in the mouth longer. Also, the act of chewing gum stimulates salivation. Saliva is our natural mouth wash that rinses our mouth from food debris,” Reyes said.

Lotte Xylitol is available in various drugstores and supermarkets nationwide.

For information on the schedule of the mall and school tours and other elements of the IEC campaign, visit www.pda.org.ph or www.lottexylitolgum.com.