April 2008 eNewsletter

Oral Health America Invites Community Participation in Launching National Smile Month

Oral Health America (OHA) is pleased to announce the US launch of National Smile Month, an oral health education campaign to be held May 18 to June 17. A 32-year tradition in the United Kingdom, National Smile Month will run simultaneously in the US and UK for the first time, thanks to a partnership between OHA and the British Dental Health Foundation. This year's theme is "Brush for Health!"

The campaign promotes key oral health messages, and encourages participation at any level by dental practices, clinics, schools, medical practices, community centers, and others who would like to raise the profile of oral health. The National Smile Month Handbook contains suggestions and examples of fun, interactive activities for all ages. The campaign's web site, www.nationalsmilemonth.org, provides press release templates and ideas for engaging local media. We've had several requests from UK practices who would like to team up with US practices to share events and create a great story for press coverage.

For more information, visit www.nationalsmilemonth.org, or email nsm@oralhealthamerica.org. Stay tuned for more news!

Medical-Dental Dialogue at New York Academy of Sciences: Transcripts Now Online 

An "e-briefing" with both audio and slides is now available online for a conference hosted by the New York Academy of Sciences on January 18, 2008 that examined the data that suggest connections between periodontal infections and systemic disease such as atherosclerosis, renal disease, pre-term births and cardiac disease. The program was jointly sponsored by Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, The New York Academy of Sciences and The National Periodontal Disease Coalition, and supported by Aetna Dental, Colgate Oral Pharmaceuticals, Johnson and Johnson Oral Health Care Products, Oral Health America, and OraPharma, Inc. 

OHA Gala Draws Record Crowd

Approximately 1,055 supporters and contributors attended OHA's 18th Annual Gala & Benefit Dinner on February 21, making it the best attended gala ever. A special thanks is due to the Gala Committee headed by Dr. Keith Suchy and Dr. Mary Hayes, co-chairs, to our volunteers, and to the many OHA friends who join OHA on this special evening.

Pictures from the event can be found here.

Omni Preventive Care Joins Smiles Across America Product Donation Program 

OMNI Preventive Care, now part of 3M ESPE Dental Products, is the donor of 30,000 applications of Vanish™ 5% Sodium Fluoride White Varnish to Oral Health America (OHA). The generous donation supports OHA's Smiles Across America Product Donation Program.

“OMNI Preventive Care is responding to many requests we've had from our program partners for fluoride varnish,” said Sue Dodd, OHA's Director of Programs. “As our programs reach new regions of the country, we understand that assistance can come in many forms. Product donations, such as those from OMNI Preventive Care, allow local entities to leverage existing resources and reach more children without routine access to dental care. On behalf of our partners, we are tremendously grateful for their support.” Read more!

Oral Health Articles in Washington Post

Two recent articles by Washington Post reporter Mary Otto provide different perspectives on dental care in our country. Yesterday's paper included Brushed Off No Longer: Citing Gaps in Care, Dental Hygienists are Beginning to Treat Patients Without Direct Supervision of Dentists. Ms. Otto's article about Louisiana dentist Dr. Gregory Folse, and his incredible mobile practice for frail elderly patients appeared in the paper on February 23. Dr. Folse collaborated with OHA in the development and Capitol Hill release of a report, State of Decay: Oral Health and Older Americans, in 2003. Read the article here: Dentist of the Back Roads

Donate Online Today!

Your contribution to OHA is matched dollar-for-dollar by DENTSPLY International. Thank you for supporting our work in communities across the country, and raising awareness of oral health's importance to overall health. Donate now through our online server, a secure VeriSign account.

Founded in 1955, Oral Health America is the nation’s premier, independent advocacy organization dedicated to improving oral health for all Americans. For more information, please send email correspondence to info@oralhealthamerica.org.

 Vol. 4, Issue 2, April 2008

Editor: Liz Rogers

Special thanks to Diana Saldana and Belmont Publications, Inc. for the design of this eNewsletter.