You are probably among the 94 percent of Malaysian adults with gum disease based on data from the National Oral Health Survey of Adults 2010.
The main cause of gum disease is plaque, a soft sticky film containing billions of bacteria. When plaque builds up between teeth, along the gum line and inside gum pockets, the harmful substance caused by bacteria build up will damage the gum tissue.
In a recent study conducted by Lion Corporation on 450 Malaysian adults showed 80% of respondents had at least one visible sign or symptom of gum disease, the most common being bleeding and swollen gums, but only 1% realised that they have gum disease (Project Katsu 2017).
Oral health has a strong and proven relationship to systemic health. Research studies show correlations between gum disease and general health including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and most recently Alzheimer’s disease.
Preventive oral health measures such as early detection and treatment of gum disease can change the oral disease continuum, a means to address the cumulative public health burden.
Gumbatte Towards Healthy Gums and Teeth
Systema, the gum health expert from Japan is working with the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH), and the Malaysian Dental Association (MDA) on a Corporate Social Responsibility campaign to help the public Gumbatte Towards Healthy Gums and Teeth, continuing and increasing its collaborative efforts of previous years.
The campaign aims to educate Malaysians and continue to uplift their oral care practices and towards better gum health for all by reaching more than 2 million people with fact-based and research-supported oral health information. There will be free dental check-up to gradually reduce gum disease among adults by identifying and preventing oral health problems like gum disease before they become more serious.
The holistic CSR campaign includes the contribution of 10,000 trial size Systema toothpaste for the public and 9,000 full-sized Systema toothpastes for oral health frontliners. Visitors can head over to an interactive website www.gumhealthcheck.com that provides education on the signs and symptoms of gum disease and a free gum health check assessment tool too.
Participating MDA member clinics will be providing free dental checks-up as well. The CSR campaign includes educational and awareness raising activities on social media and deeply discounted Systema products to bring quality oral health products within everyone’s reach.
A social media campaign featuring influencers and users encouraging everyone to Gumbatte Towards Healthy Gums and Teeth will support the campaign from April 1st to April 30th, 2021.
Southern Lion Sdn Bhd, Senior General Manager, Ms Carmen Foo highlighted Systema’s social purpose of creating higher awareness of oral health for healthy gum and a lifetime of healthy teeth, more so as the world grapples with the pandemic.
“The pandemic has held us in ‘survival mode’ for almost a year, but now it is time to refocus on important issues such as gum health again. Healthy gums and teeth are vital for better quality of life, so let’s ‘Gumbatte’! Systema can help by making more people aware of the signs and symptoms of gum disease, that it can often be reversed during early stages by simply brushing teeth and gums twice a day,” said Ms Foo.
The Malaysian Dental Association, Honorary General Secretary Dr Chong Zhen Feng shared that since the COVID-19 pandemic, with the general public putting off routine dental check-ups, dental professionals have noticed the decrease in patients’ attendance. This will inadvertently delay any prompt management and may even lead to worsening of oral diseases. He said that it is recommended that everyone visit their dentist at least twice a year.
“The MDA has been partnered with Systema on oral health campaigns, year after year. In Malaysia, gum disease is highly prevalent due to the low awareness on the importance of good oral health care. Through the Gumbatte Towards Healthy Gums and Teeth campaign, we wish to provide oral health care education across the country with the aim of improving the gum health and the general health of the nation. The number of people we will be able to impact by this initiative is very encouraging.
“Take control of your oral health by visiting, the website: www.gumhealthcheck.com to assess your gum status, and if needed, please visit our participating Malaysian Dental Association member dental clinics for your free dental check-up. ”
The Gumbatte Towards Healthy Gums and Teeth campaign plays on the Japanese motivational cry of ‘Ganbatte’ that means ‘you can do it’ as a rallying call to get Malaysians to take charge of their oral health, even during the pandemic. Visit www.gumhealthcheck.com to take your online gum health check, today.
