The silent battle that many kids are fighting

There’s a sneaky troublemaker causing mischief in many children. No, it’s not dengue nor pneumonia. It’s a sly culprit that’s taking away more smiles than we realize: cavities.

The mouth is a tiny war zone where sugars, acids and bacteria exchange shots. Each shot fired breaks down enamel, our teeth’s insulating barrier from wear and tear. The aftermath of the battle are cavities or damaged areas in the surface of the teeth.

These cavities become tiny openings that can lead to a serious toothache, infection, and tooth loss. According to the National Survey on Oral Health of the Department of Health in 2018, 83% of children aged 5-12 years old continue to suffer from the silent health crisis brought about by cavities.

Cavities are a pressing concern cited by parents and educators in school-aged children and are a leading cause of school absences. This makes it evident that there is much to learn about maintaining proper oral hygiene.

The first step in preventing cavities need to be taken at a young age as children are the most affected. Colgate, the leading oral care brand in the Philippines, is committed to helping eliminate cavities that cause tooth decay. Their Bright Smiles, Bright Futures® or BSBF program has already reached around a billion children in over 80 countries around the world.

In the Philippines, BSBF has impacted around 40 million school children in the past 25 years. Through the help of their partners, Philippine Dental Association, Department of Education, and Local Government Units, BSBF pledges to improve the oral health of Filipinos by instilling effective oral care habits in children such as brushing their teeth at least twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste like Colgate Maximum Cavity Protection.

This National Dental Health Month, Colgate has signified their strong commitment in raising awareness about tooth decay and improving the oral health of Filipinos. The "Isang Milyong Sipilyo, Angat Ngiting Pilipino” program is an initiative aimed at preventing cavities to #KeepSmilesPresent in schools.

The program focuses on providing toothbrushing kits and appropriate oral health education to around one million elementary school students nationwide. The campaign kicked off its activities last February 5, 2024, at the Timoteo Paez Elementary School in Pasay City. This coincided with the National Toothbrushing Day and had over 30,000 children simultaneously brushing their teeth nationwide.

Similar events were subsequently held at the Pavia Pilot Elementary School and MAA Central Elementary School on February 26 and March 21 in Iloilo City and Davao City respectively.

Watch the highlights of the campaign in this video:

Through efforts like "Isang Milyong Sipilyo, Angat Ngiting Pilipino” and Colgate’s Bright Smiles, Bright Futures® program, tooth decay can be kept at bay. More children can continue learning as they keep cavities absent and keep their smiles present.

For more tips on maintaining good oral health, follow Colgate on Facebook.