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Pick up any package of Trident® gum
from 9/1/09 thru 9/7/09 and Trident will donate 5¢ per purchase
to Smiles Across America®.
Thank you Trident! |
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HELP OHA REACH THE LAST 63% OF OUR GOAL!
Take a look at our new annual report, and forward this e-news to a friend today! |
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| SIGN-ON OUR LETTER TO CONGRESS |
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Oral Health
in the News! |
| Take a look: LA Times Columnist Fran Kritz interviewed OHA's President and CEO Beth Truett for an article titled Dental Care on a Budget
On August 5, Dr. Sanjay Gupta reviewed oral health's inclusion in healthcare reform as part of this CNN videocast |
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PHOTO GALLERY
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Thanks to Dr. Alberto Ventura, director of the Dental Clinic School Program in Saipan, who sent us photographs of summer outreach to school children.
The program recieves donated dental products through our Product Donation Project a facet of OHA's Smiles Across America which
will impact 115,000 children in 2009.
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From overcoming current economic challenges and building your provider networks to enhancing your emotional intelligence to tackle each situation, the National Association of Dental Plans' (NADP) annual conference, CONVERGE 2009, has you covered.
Join NADP September 22-25 at the Camelback Inn, Scottsdale, AZ for dynamic presentations and quality networking opportunities to help you succeed in today's dental benefits industry. To receive the $995 member rate, register today at:
http://converge.nadp.org
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KATIE REYNOLDS WINS 2009 ANTI-TOBACCO SLOGAN CONTEST
Oral Health America's National Spit Tobacco Education Program (NSTEP) is pleased to announce that Katie Reynolds, a twelve-year-old softball player from Pawling, New York, is the winner of our 2009 NSTEP slogan contest. Katie's slogan, "Chew on this... tobacco steals your health," sends a clear message that tobacco has no place in the ballpark.
Katie, the first female winner of the slogan contest, wins a monetary award, a trip with her family to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA, and recognition during an on-field award ceremony. Katie's slogan will also be featured on a baseball pin designed by OHA for distribution at the Little League Games.
"In addition to being thrilled and proud of Katie's slogan, we are equally delighted that the contest provided an opportunity for our family to discuss the harms of tobacco" said Katie's parents, Gina and William Reynolds.
Oral Health America's NSTEP works with Little League International to educate families about the risks of spit tobacco use, including oral cancer, gum disease, tooth decay, and nicotine addiction. During the 10-day Little League Baseball World Series, OHA provides tobacco and health education to tens of thousands of young baseball players and their families. OHA's presence at Little League Baseball World Series is made possible with support from Aspen Dental (www.aspendent.com) and Delta Dental of California (www.deltadentalins.com). |
OCTOBER 16 SYMPOSIUM ON COLLABORATIVE HEALTHCARE FOR OLDER ADULTS
Oral Health America, The New York Academy of Sciences, and Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons and College of Dental Medicine are bringing together scientists, clinicians and health care leaders on October 16 for an open forum to address the health care issues unique to older Americans.
The event, Collaborative Health Care for Older Adults: A Symposium for Creating Dialogue between Medicine and Dentistry, will be held at the New York Academy of Sciences Conference Center in New York City and will feature leaders from a diverse range of healthcare backgrounds, including Dr. Jeremy Mao, one of the world's leading stem cell researchers. Dr. Mao is the Director of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Laboratory (TERML), and Professor of Dental Medicine and Biomedical Engineering at Columbia University.
Currently, Dr. Mao is focusing on regenerating dental, oral and craniofacial tissues. "Organs, including dental and craniofacial organs, fail at greater rates, and this is why more research is needed on the oral systemic link, specifically for aging Americans," stated Dr. Mao. Dr. Mao also feels that cross-disciplinary collaboration between dentists and doctors can help improve health outcomes. The symposium which aims to facilitate dialogue among health care professions will feature keynote speaker, Dr. Marie Bernard, Deputy Director of NIH's National Institute on Aging.
For more information or to register for the event, visit: http://www.nyas.org/health-aging
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DONOR PROFILE: HARRY J. BOSWORTH COMPANY
Milly Goldstein, President of the Bosworth Company and dedicated OHA Board Member, is one of Oral Health America's loyal supporters. Milly and the Bosworth Company frequently donate supplies, materials and time in addition to their giving generously to OHA. Over the years, Milly has served as our Gala chair and has played an instrumental role in "friend raising" for Oral Health America. We caught up with Milly and her husband Herb Pozen at the Dental Trade Alliance annual meeting in Washington, DC.
Q: Why does the Bosworth Company participate in OHA's Healthy Smiles for Healthy Lives Annual Fundraising Campaign?
We believe in being a good citizen in our community; doing good will result in good for all, including Bosworth, and this is one way to grow our pie.
Q: Whenever OHA receives an urgent request for dental sealants or other consumables, the Bosworth Company is always ready to fulfill last minute requests for community dental programs. Why is Bosworth always willing to support OHA's Smiles Across America® Product Donation Project?
Introducing good oral health habits to children will translate into a lifetime of oral healthcare, not only for them, but hopefully they will take that message to their parents. We believe in our product and the benefits of a healthy smile for the individual. |
NATIONAL SMILE MONTH ACQUIRES 173 MILLION MEDIA IMPRESSIONS
Oral Health America's second National Smile Month campaign in June secured well over 170 million print and online impressions and provided a platform for our local partners to conduct community outreach. Together, we reminded millions of Americans not to forget their toothbrushes on vacation!
Special thanks to our sponsors for making OHA's National Smile Month campaign possible. They are: Patterson Dental, UnitedHealthcare Dental, Dental Trade Alliance Foundation, National Museum of Dentistry, and Phillips Sonicare. The International Dental Health Foundation founded National Smile Month in the United Kingdom; OHA became their first partner in the global marketplace.
National Smile Month is made stronger through the efforts of our collaborating partners in communities throughout the country. St. Joseph Health Ministries of Lancaster, PA, distributed over 10,000 buttons to local libraries and hospitals and conducted multiple media interviews to draw people's attention to the need for good oral health. Smiles Change Lives, headquartered in Kansas City, hosted on-line photo and trivia contests, and encouraged traffic to OHA and NSM web pages. The JPS Hospital Dental Team in Fort Worth, TX, visited six Tarrant County Boys and Girls Clubs to provide dental exams, give out toothbrushes and prevention instructions, and to place fluoride varnish. The California GotMilk? campaign focused its messaging on strong teeth and healthy mouths and worked with the Dental Health Foundation and 1-800-DENTIST to secure TV interviews with dentists throughout the state.
Oral Health America and National Smile Month look forward to next year's collaboration with you! Planning is underway. To sponsor or participate in 2010, contact OHA at (312) 836-9900 or nsm@oralhealthamerica.org.
Pictured above: Torrie Simmons, National Smile Month Healthy Smile Contest participant showing off her healthy smile. |
DONOR PROFILE: DR. HENRY FIELDS
Oral Health America asked long-time donor Dr. Henry Fields about what he found most compelling about our organizational focus on increasing access to dental care, oral health education, and advocacy. Here is his response: "I believe the general oral health issue currently boils down to advocacy. We can have all the access programs we can ever dream of, but unless we get the right advocacy they remain simply ideas and then bad dreams. That is the heart of the matter to me.
I originally began by giving to the American Fund for Dental Health, which was a precursor of the OHA. When I was a graduate student, I was funded for 2 years for a stipend and tuition by the AFDH in their Teacher Training Fellowships. Over 30 years later I am still in full time academics and enjoying my work. This is a way I can acknowledge the help I received early in my career."
Henry W. Fields, DDS, MS, MSD
Professor and Division Chair, Orthodontics
Ohio State University College of Dentistry |
NO VACATION FOR HEALTH REFORM
Lawmakers are on August recess in their home states, and they are listening carefully to their constituent's opinions about healthcare reform and actively making decisions about what aspects of healthcare reform to support. Let's make sure oral health is included!
Pick up the phone and call, or stop by regional offices. Convey the following messages:
- Healthcare reform must include universal access to care, including oral health care for all Americans.
- The oral health provisions in the existing House and Senate health reform bills are vitally important to our nation's health and wellness, and must be upheld.
- Any advisory body set up to enact healthcare reform must include an oral health expert.
Contact information for elected officials can be found here:http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml. Please let us know about your calls and visits! Send an email to melissa@oralhealthamerica.org. |
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