Why more millennials use dentures than seniors

MANILA, Philippines — Contrary to popular belief, senior citizens do not comprise the majority of denture wearers in the country, a recent study showed. Instead, 41 percent of the estimated 30 million Filipinos with dentures are millennials, or those age 18 to 35.

Poor oral hygiene can be blamed for this, said Ritesh Pandey, general manager of GlaxoSmithKlein (GSK) Philippines’ consumer health care, who added that it does not help that people believe a thorough cleaning of one’s teeth means that one should brush harder. Such practice damages one’s gums and creates sensitive teeth, he said.

In the Philippines, around 16 percent of denture wearers do not clean their dentures; those who do often exercise poor cleaning and maintenance of their dentures, said Pandey at the launch on Tuesday of GSK’s campaign to educate the public on how to take better care of their teeth and dentures.

Dentures should not be cleaned with toothpaste since artificial teeth — made of porcelain or resin — lack the protection that natural teeth made of enamel have, Pandey said. Using toothpaste on dentures can cause microscopic abrasions where food and plaque can build up so specialized cleansers should be used instead.