PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania--Each year, nearly two million Americans are fitted for their first denture.
While dentures can improve a person's dental health, smile, appearance and quality of life, the transition to and acceptance of this change can be challenging for many people. Among the key challenges: getting the right information to prepare them for this new phase in life, and getting emotional support since the experience can be embarrassing and stigmatizing. This can also inhibit patient inquiry.
The dental professional can serve as a helpful support and information source, but often patients do not reach out to the dental professional since they are embarrassed, traumatized, and don't know what to ask. Dental professionals, in turn, often don't know how to approach these patients.
GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare has developed the PoliCare program to help bridge the gap between patient and professional, by helping consumers better understand life with dentures, and by helping the dental professional encourage inquiry and discussion with the patient.
This outreach program, from the makers of Polident Denture Cleanser and Super PoliGrip Adhesive, helps denture wearers understand the process of being fitted for and wearing dentures and provides a helping hand in the transition.
The patient Web site PoliCare offers patients and caregivers valuable support and information. This includes preparing for dentures, living with dentures, and proper care and maintenance of dentures.
By encouraging patients to visit the Web site, dentists can help answer questions outside the office. After enrolling in PoliCare, either on the Web or by filling out a reply card in the dental office, patients will receive additional promotions and members-only offers.
Qualifying dentists who join PoliCare will also receive a number of benefits, including complimentary patient education and practice management tools, as well as materials to send home with patients to help ease their transition to new dentures.
Upon enrolling in the program, dentists will receive 12 Complete Care Starter Kits for patients. The kits include product samples such as Polident Cleansing Tablets, Super PoliGrip Denture Adhesive Cream, a denture brush and bath, a patient education brochure, and coupons worth up to $17 in savings on Polident and Super PoliGrip products.
Office posters and counter cards are also provided to encourage patients to register with PoliCare through the Web site.
Additional tools available to dentists through PoliCare include a patient self-assessment quiz to help dentists understand and manage patient expectations prior to beginning the denture process.
On the GlaxoSmithKline Web site, dentists can download and customize office materials such as appointment reminder e-mails and cards, as well as denture information for the practice Web site and newsletter.
"The transition to life with new dentures or partials can be overwhelming, even traumatic, for many patients," said Dawn Kosanovich, senior brand manager, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare.
"PoliCare is intended to help busy dental professionals better serve these patients by providing support and information throughout this transition, to help them start this new chapter in their lives in the best way possible."
For more information about PoliCare or GlaxoSmithKline's other dental care products, visit GlaxoSmithKline or call (800) 652-5625.
To read more about GlaxoSmithKline, go to GlaxoSmithKline.
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