The Gumtect Food Trek Made Me Aware of Oral Care

I never gave much thought about oral care until I attended The Gumtect Food Trek. Oral discomfort such as tooth ache, canker sore (singaw), dentine hypersensitivity (pangingilo) and similar issues can be a pain when you want to eat food. There was a point where I personally experienced the jolt of pain even when drinking cold water. I hate that feeling. But because I never had those pain anymore, I just continue with life without giving it extra attention.

At a recent food crawl along Maginhawa in Quezon City sponsored by Gumtect, I was somehow tested to see how I fair as far as oral healthcare is concerned. We visited four restaurants offering different kinds of cuisine. The Gumtect Food Trek: A Mouth-full Adventure is not just the usual crawl. All foodies were divided to groups and we faced different challenges on each stop.

All the challenges tested how healthy our teeth and gums are with the eating and drinking challenges. Of course, our memory were also challenged in one of the games. Confident that I no longer suffer from dentine hypersensitivity, I willingly joined the challenges which involved eating a glassful of Mais con Yelo, a small bowl of ramen, and the drinking an iced coffee. I never got to experience any oral discomfort with all the challenges I participated in.

We also got to enjoy the different dishes offered, such as the delicious Filipino fare at Gerry’s Jeepney. It was followed by a visit to Soru Izakaya where we had Tantanmen and Akai Paella Maki.

We had our desserts at The Round Robin Cafe. I enjoyed this part of the food crawl because I have a sweet tooth. They served us Keylime Pie, Double Fudge Chocolate Cake, and Lemon Square. I love them all, especially the Key Lime Pie.

Our last stop was at Ka-Pe DIY Filipino Coffee Shop. Too bad we ran out of time and only got to enjoy the iced coffee drink we had during the drinking challenge.

I had to hurry home and could no longer wait for my Ice-Blended Choco-Mango. Yes, I still wanted to have an iced drink even after I consumed that iced coffee at the drinking challenge, haha!

I’m so proud that I never experienced any form of oral discomfort during the food crawl, even when we had to hurry consuming the food during the challenges. That is a testament to my efforts of maintaining oral hygiene, giving me confidence that I can take on any eating that I will go through this Christmas season.

How about you? I’m sure you’re bracing yourself for all the eating that you will experience this season. With all the Christmas parties, reunions, and other get-togethers we are about to go through we should all be prepared. Paying attention to your dental health should be a priority to enjoy the indulgence without having to worry about oral discomfort.

According to a study in 2011 by the National Monitoring and Evaluation Dental Survey, 48% of Filipinos suffer from some form of gum disease. Receding gums are often accompanied with tooth sensitivity. Dr. JV Jaurigue, External Vice President of the Philippine Society of Periodontology, who joined us during the Gumtect Food Trek event talked about the connection of gum health with overall health and stressed the importance of proper oral care. “Oral care is essential to our health. Rather than dealing with complications and difficulties of gum diseases, it is better to prevent them from happening,” he shared.

Dr. Jaurige pointed out that brushing alone is not enough. Oral care also involves flossing your teeth and gargling with mouthwash. I realized that my oral hygiene practice is not enough. I do brush my teeth regularly, but misses out on the last two. Although I no longer feel oral discomfort, I felt the importance of a total oral care practice to really care for my gums and teeth.

Celebrities Doug and Chesca Kramer who joined us at the event shared their thoughts about oral health. As oral healthcare advocates for Gumtect, Doug and Chesca shared how important it is that they take care of their teeth and gums so they don’t miss out on any foodie moments when they celebrate the holidays with their friends and family.

“Despite our busy schedules, we enjoy the gatherings and reunions to relax and catch up over food,” shared Doug. “I have a really sweet tooth, and I enjoy having conversations over dessert, but for me to be able to just enjoy the food, I also ensure to make these -ber months care months for my gums and teeth so there’s no hassle of gum problems”.

Doug advocates oral care with the use of Gumtect Gum Care toothpaste, which works to promote healthy gums, protects against harmful mouth bacteria, and moisturizes and strengthens the gums.

As for Chesca, her already hectic schedule as a mom can only get busier with holiday activities with her kids on the horizon. She shared that with her sensitive teeth, she needs to take care of her gums so pangingilo doesn’t get in the way of her indulging in her favorite holiday dishes with her loved ones.

Commonly caused by wearing of the thin outer covering of the tooth (enamel), over-brushing, acidic food, and gum receding, pangingilo or dental hypersensitivity begins when the inner part of the tooth is uncovered. This results to an oh-so-familiar brief yet sharp sensation of tooth sensitivity.

“I want to maximize my bonding moments with my family, especially enjoying food together like ice cream and buko salad. I want to be able to indulge in my favorite holiday dishes without having to think about pangingilo,” Chesca said.

For Chesca, she recommends using Gumtect Sensitive toothpaste and Gumtect Sensitive mouthwash as they are specially formulated with Dynamic Desensitizing System to be able to help relieve tooth sensitivity.

Gumtect Brand Marketing Manager, Atria Casidsid also talked about how Gumtect Gumcare and Gumtect Sensitive are especially formulated to help promote healthy gums so that gum problems won’t get in the way of holiday fun.

Gumtect Gumcare is the only gum care toothpaste with GUMSHIELD+ which contains Allantoin, which improves the condition of the gums, Vitamin E, which moisturizes gums and Triclean, which reduces the formation of plaque and shields against harmful mouth bacteria while Gumtect Sensitive has a Dynamic Desensitizing System that helps relieve sensitive teeth. Both Gumtect Sensitive and Gumtect Gumcare also have Active Anti-Cavity Protection that ensures fresh breath and strong teeth enamel.

My attitude towards health care is passive. As long as I don’t experience oral discomfort and gets to enjoy eating and drinking with no worries, I’m fine. But that’s no longer the case. The Gumtect Food Trek event is such eye-opener for me that I am committed to having a complete oral hygiene practice to keep my mouth healthy. To know more about gum health care tips, visit www.facebook.com/Gumtect.