As it turns out, a good first impression with your set of pearly whites is not the only reason to be taking better oral care of yourself. According to a study done in periodontology, our gums play a major role in our overall health. The study shows that there is about 2.8 times higher possibility for a stroke, 3.1 times possibility for heart disease, up to 6 times higher possibility of diabetes and more recently, higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease for those who have any sort of gum disease. For those who think it might not be them, the recent figures are alarming as 9 out of 10 Malaysians have a form of oral disease but only 1% of those realise that they do.
Systema, a brand with over 120 years of oral care heritage from LION Corporation Japan has launched a new campaign called “Gumbatte towards healthy gums and teeth” in collaboration with the Ministry of Health Malaysia and the Malaysian Dental Association (MDA) with aims to educate Malaysians and uplift gum care practices throughout the nation.
In their virtual event held on Facebook on the 6th of April, they highlighted that the main cause of gum disease is caused by plaque buildup which finds its way into hard to reach nooks and crannies, gum lines and also gum pockets. Systema seeks to reach upwards of 2 million Malaysians with the campaign and with the help of the MDA, aims to provide free dental checkups for Malaysians. They also plan to give away 10,000 trial sized Systema toothpaste – formulated for fighting plaque to be used alongside their anti-plaque system to Malaysians and also 9000 full sized toothpastes to Malaysian dental healthcare front liners.
The virtual event brought on speakers such as Dr Renukanth, a Dental Specialist in Periodontics to emphasize on the lack of awareness and links to systemic health that gum diseases bring about. Things to look out for are bleeding of gums even when brushing lightly and bad breath alongside other visible signs especially so in the time of the pandemic as the MCO means that some dental services are affected.
Periodontal disease is also associated with higher risk of ICU admission, the need for assisted ventilation and COVID-19 related deaths. It is recommended that we brush twice a day for at least 2 minutes each time to help reduce plaque build-up and to visit a dentist twice a year to better be on top of our oral health.
With the advent of technology and the increased reliance on the World Wide Web, the general public can also visit the website www.gumhealthcheck.com to help diagnose their oral health state and seek professional help if needed.
