72.2% of Indonesians Incur Higher Costs by Skipping 'Nightly Ritual'

Amid the urban Indonesian trend of elaborate nightly skincare rituals for a prime appearance, a concerning fact has emerged. The 2007 Basic Health Research (Riskesdas) report revealed the ironic finding that only 27.8% of Indonesians brush their teeth before sleeping. According to the Indonesian Dentists Association (PDGI), skipping toothbrushing at night poses a serious medical threat. As the body rests during sleep, the oral cavity experiences a drastic reduction in saliva production, causing bacteria to grow and multiply rapidly overnight. Leftover food or sugary drink residue triggers plaque formation, erodes tooth enamel, and leads to cavities. This fact becomes increasingly alarming when considering the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Oral Health Status Report (2022), which recorded that dental treatment and care ranks as the world’s third most expensive health domain, costing US$100.87 billion. This places it just below diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Negligence from this small habit ultimately leads to inflated curative treatment costs at dental clinics. The good news is that preventing such inflated medical costs is possible through care involving ingredients that can eliminate bacteria, such as Domiphen Bromide. This ingredient is a medical antiseptic agent that sterilises bacteria, combined with sodium carbonate to actively maintain the oral cavity’s pH balance for up to 8 hours, roughly equivalent to an adult’s sleep duration. These two ingredients are combined in the usmile Strength White product, launched on 22 June 2026. As an all-round oral care solution, this toothpaste is ideal for morning and daytime use while providing maximum protection at night. Equipped with 3in1 Pro White, it combines Baking Soda and Calcium Carbonate to effectively lift yellow stains caused by daily consumption of coffee, tea, or cigarettes. Once the stains are removed, the tooth enamel is coated with Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate, which functions to shield the teeth so stains do not reattach to the enamel. Country Manager of usmile Indonesia & Malaysia, Michelle, explained, “The presence of this latest product is a tangible manifestation of usmile’s brand value, which is Prevention over Treatment. We believe this value is increasingly recognised by consumers, reflected in usmile’s consistently growing sales. After successfully recording an exponential sales surge of 182% during Ramadan 2026, usmile’s sales performance in April increased again by 20%, and our newest product, Optical White, even managed to become the top oral care product on TikTok Shop in the second week of June 2026.” This very positive business growth represents a valuable opportunity when faced with the macroeconomic reality of mid-June 2026. Economic pressures, marked by the weakening of the Rupiah exchange rate breaching Rp18,200/USD and the plunging of the Jakarta Composite Index (IHSG) below the 5,400 level, have dealt a real blow to purchasing power. This condition aligns with a report from Statistics Indonesia (BPS) regarding the shrinking middle class, from 57 million people (21.4% in 2019) to 47 million people (17% in 2024). As a concrete step to anticipate this economic hardship, usmile is opening partnership opportunities through the affiliate marketing sector as a financial safety net for people of productive age to earn additional income.