ORAL HEALTH AMERICA BRINGING HEALTHY MOUTHS TO LIFE FALL 201 1
Smiles Across America Welcomes New Grantees Smiles Across America® (SAA)
Oral Health Across the Commonwealth
Partner, and has now been selected as an SAA
launched partnerships with four
provides oral disease prevention services to
grantee. The Community Health Center will be
new school-based and school-linked
children in the Greater Springfield, MA, area
expanding its preventive services to schools in
dental care programs this fall: CHS
and has a collaborative relationship with
Crawford and Cherokee Counties. Prior to the
Healthcare in Collier County, FL, Oral
Tufts University School of Dental Medicine.
SAA funding, the program was at capacity but
Health Across the Commonwealth
With the SAA grant, the program will serve
with the additional SAA dollars, they are able to
in Springfield, MA, Community
approximately 1,000 additional elementary
serve more children.
Health Center of Southeast Kansas in
school students this year who might not
Smiles Across Pinal County, a program affiliated
Pittsburg, KS, and Smiles Across Pinal
otherwise have access to dental care. The
with A.T. Still University’s Arizona School of
County in Mesa, AZ.
program will hire a multilingual oral health
Dentistry and Oral Health will, for the first
The CHS Healthcare sealant program is
advocate from the community who will
time, provide preventive care to children in the
affiliated with the University of Florida College
connect with parents outside the school setting
Apache Junction Unified School District. Oral
of Dentistry and will serve children at five
(church groups, community events) to help
Health America is proud to help fund the start-
elementary schools in the Collier County School
them understand the importance of oral health
up of this initiative.
District. The program is also supported by the
and the benefits of the school-based services.
Ronald McDonald Care Mobile and received a
The Community Health Center of Southeast
Patterson Foundation, Plackers and Pulpdent for
Kansas began its relationship with OHA as
their support of SAA and for helping Oral Health
a Smiles Across America Product Donation
America continue to “give back.”
matching grant from the Walmart Foundation.
Thank you to Trident, 3M ESPE, Ivoclar Vivadent,
oralhealthamerica.org
Target: Older Adults OHA’s Wisdom Tooth Project® (WTP) improves the oral health of vulnerable older adults by targeting “caring advisors”: spouses, children, neighbors, and other individuals who play a vital role in connecting older adults to medical and dental care. Thanks to a 2011 grant from the DentaQuest Foundation, we have: • Developed communications tools, including a monthly e-newsletter, to keep our stakeholders informed of the project’s progress while soliciting new ideas and feedback • Initiated planning for a multidisciplinary educational symposium in collaboration with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center for Health Policy at Meharry Medical College in Spring 2012 • Developed a collaborative model for an online portal that will connect communities with educational and access resources at the national and local levels • Led an online focus group of 23 “caring advisors” in Florida, where we gained an understanding of how “advisors” currently seek oral health information, how they communicate about oral health, and what kinds of content they’d like covered in an online portal What’s on the horizon? We are building partnerships with national associations and organizations and beginning to pilot regional strategies as we continue exploring possibilities for our online portal. Look for our communications initiatives to educate Americans on the importance of oral health throughout the journey of life. We hope you’ll join us along the way.
Honoring Children’s Dental Health Month OHA and the American Dental Association (ADA) honored four organizations with the Samuel D. Harris Award during the ADA’s 152nd Annual Session. The Samuel D. Harris award recognizes programs that demonstrate the advancement of dentistry for children through efforts that provide oral health benefits to the public and the profession during February’s National Children’s Dental Health Month. Grants were awarded based on creativity, originality and opportunity for replication in other communities. Congratulations to this year’s honorees:
• Central Jersey Family Health Consortium of North Brunswick, NJ, for its “Sugar-Less Day to Prevent Tooth Decay” program • Louisville Dental Society in Kentucky for its Smile Kentucky! program • Maricopa County Oral Health Leaders, Advocates, & Resources (MOLAR) of Glendale, AZ, for its expansion of the National Children’s Dental Health Month program in the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Phoenix • SWLA Center for Health Services of Lake Charles, LA, for its Oral Health Art Project
Look for the next Children’s Dental Health Month grant RFP in May 2012
Fall for Smiles Campaign Confronts Oral HeaLth Disparities on Capitol Hill Oral Health America kicked off its Fall for Smiles® campaign this September with the release of a public opinion survey that found that one-third of Americans have cut back on regular dental visits within the past year. The survey, sponsored by Oral Healthcare Can’t Wait® and Plackers and conducted by Harris Interactive®, also found that a greater number (47 percent) of large households and those with young children cut back on visits to the dentist. As part of the campaign, OHA and the Dental Trade Alliance hosted an event on Capitol Hill on September 21. Nearly 100 supporters attended the event to confront the impact of oral health disparities on our nation’s health and well-being. U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) was recognized for his leadership in bringing about policy changes that are helping to reduce disparities and increase children’s access to dental care in Maryland and throughout the country.
Ivoclar Matches Your Gift With the older adult population in this country rapidly increasing—approximately 10,000 Americans will reach retirement age every day for the next 19 years—addressing the oral health needs of older adults is more important than ever. OHA created the Wisdom Tooth Project® to connect, educate, and advocate for the oral health of all older Americans, especially those most vulnerable. Making a gift to OHA helps support the Wisdom Tooth Project and other important programs that bring oral health care and education to Americans of all ages.
Through the end of the year, your gift can make an even bigger impact. Now through Dec. 31, Ivoclar Vivadent will donate 50 cents for every dollar donated to OHA up to $100,000. Take advantage of this unique opportunity to make your donation go even further. Visit OHA’s website at www.oralhealthamerica.org to watch our Wisdom Tooth Project video and to make your gift. For more information contact Emma@oralhealthamerica.org.
Honor someone special with a tribute gift Making a tribute gift to OHA is a great way to honor someone important, celebrate a noteworthy accomplishment or team achievement. Whether you want to give a gift for someone’s birthday, honor a promotion, or give in memory of longtime OHA supporter Bernie Beazley, making a tribute gift is as simple as going to oralhealthamerica.org. While you’re there, check out our new Tribute Brochure and read the stories of supporters who have made tribute gifts in the past.
Dear Friends, At OHA, “giving back” is important. The support that we provide to others comes from funds that we raise each year – dollars that go back into vulnerable communities throughout the U.S. OHA makes a difference by funding programs such as Oral Health Across the Commonwealth in Springfield, MA, and a new school-based program in Collier County, FL. Our support is not just about OHA dollars. We are intent on creating new opportunities for support both nationally and locally. We are leveraging resources and encouraging our partners to use OHA’s funding to expand services through effective and efficient collaborations. We are often humbled by the creativity and dedication of the communities we support. They strengthen our commitment to ask, and ask again, for your support!
With gratitude for your gifts,
Visit www.oralhealthamerica.org
and donate today ,
President and CEO
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410 North Michigan Ave. Ste. 352 Chicago, Illinois 60611-4253
bringing healthy mouths to life fall Newsletter www.oralhealthamerica.org
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