OHA 2013 Spring Newsletter

ORAL HEALTH AMERICA BRINGING HEALTHY MOUTHS TO LIFE

DEAR FRIENDS OF OHA, Did you know that 10,000 Americans

SPRING 2013

Get Online with the Wisdom Tooth Project The DentaQuest Foundation has renewed its

need to take action. The goal of the website

funding for the final phase of development

is to promote the importance of prevention

and launch of OHA’s Wisdom Tooth Project®

at every age; connect older adults to

website. The funding will enable OHA to

resources needed to access care; create a

reach older adults and their caregivers on

singular place where dental, medical, and

a national and state basis, with assistance

allied health professionals as well as older

Tooth Project® (WTP) is dedicated to

from award-winning public relations agency

adult advocates can find resources, and to

helping our nation’s most vulnerable

Edelman. The website features articles by

connect and build communities on a national

population, older adults, gain access

experts in the dental field about important

and state level needed to excite systemic

to oral health resources. Henry Schein

oral health topics facing older adults and

change. OHA will also launch a 10 year

and the Henry Schein Cares Foundation

ways to connect with local resources.

anniversary addition of State of Decay, a

is helping OHA to stem this crisis by

ToothWisdom.org is undergoing live testing

report that examines the oral health of older

matching gifts dollar-for-dollar up to

and will be introduced at an industry event at

adults on a state-by-state basis.

$20,000 through May 31. Give now, and

OHA’s corporate headquarters in Chicago on

reach retirement age every day and that only 2% have dental insurance? This is one of many alarming statistics about the oral health of older adults that is moving OHA to act now. OHA’s Wisdom

double your impact.

We appreciate your support in helping OHA bring healthy mouths to life,

May 15, 2013.

The new Wisdom Tooth Project website is one of five strategies OHA is implementing to provide older adults and their caregivers information and resources about oral care

President and CEO

INTERESTED IN BECOMING A CONTENT EXPERT FOR TOOTHWISDOM.ORG? CONTACT: ALLYSON.SUPOWITZ ORALHEALTHAMERICA.ORG.

and to raise public awareness about the

ORALHEALTHAMERICA.ORG

TAKE THE CHALLENGE Bringing Oral Healthcare to Children with LISTERINE ®

Oral Health America has joined the LISTERINE® Brand to promote gum health and bring needed oral health care to children across the country. The makers of LISTERINE® Brand mouthwash are calling on all Americans to take a 21 Day Challenge, by swishing with LISTERINE® Antiseptic twice a day for 21 days to improve their oral health. For every person who signs up for the challenge, the LISTERINE® Brand will make a contribution to help OHA’s Smiles Across America® (SAA) program toward our goal of connecting up to 210,000 at risk children with needed oral health services in 2013. The challenge kicked off with a media event in New York City where actress Ginnifer Goodwin took a swish of LISTERINE® that triggered a $21,000 donation to SAA. Visit LISTERINE’s Facebook page at WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/LISTERINE to sign up for the challenge and support SAA.

REVVING UP EXCITEMENT OVER HEALTHY MOUTHS OHA teamed up with Give Kids a Smile (GKAS) with participation in two NASCAR events this spring. The events took place in California and Missouri, where OHA coordinated a dental education event at Troth Elementary School in Jurupa Valley and J.A. Rogers Elementary in Kansas City, featuring the members of the No. 16 3M Ford Fusion race team and the No. 16 3M race car. More than 1,800 students learned about the importance of oral health and received oral care kits containing Trident© sugar-free gum, toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, and a Thomas and Friends Spinbrush from Arm & Hammer. Thanks to GKAS and 3M for this great opportunity to teach kids about the importance of a healthy smile!

A NIGHT TO CELEBRATE ORAL HEALTH

The 23rd Annual Gala and Benefit took place on February 20 at Chicago’s Navy Pier, hosting 800 guests and raising more than $550,000 in funds for OHA’s programs. At the top of the evening, OHA recognized Donald “Mac” McKenzie with the Gala Tribute Award for his years of stewardship over the organization. Mac’s legend has fundamentally changed the way this nation’s children view the dangers of smokeless tobacco though his involvement with OHA’s NSTEP® (National Spit Tobacco Education Program). Thank you to our sponsors and supporters for helping us to advance our mission: connecting communities with resources to improve oral health.

NE W FAC ES AT OHA OHA’s Board of Directors is happy to welcome Dr. Foti Panagakos,

CONCERN FOR KIDS’ ORAL HEALTH IN AMERICA The Affordable Care Act originally called for children’s dental coverage to be considered an essential health

Associate Director of Clinical Dental

benefit in state exchanges. However, the Department of Health

Research and Development Division of

and Human Services has said that plans can be certified without

Colgate-Palmolive Company, Paula Vogel,

pediatric dental coverage as long as they offer a stand-alone plan.

Corporate Communications and Public

This means that families will be able to purchase health insurance for

Relations Manager at A-dec, and Dr. Ernie

their children without dental coverage.

Garcia, Assistance Clinical Professor, USCF

Visit ORALHEALTHAMERICA.ORG to sign up for our advocacy

School of Dentistry, to the board. Our staff

alerts to stay on top of this and other important issues facing oral

is also expanding with Brittany Wright,

health in this country.

eCommunications and Events Coordinator; Tina Montgomery, Programs Manager; and Marie Pospichal, Development Coordinator.

P R I N T I N G G E N E R O U S LY D O N AT E D B Y :

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID PATTERSON DENTAL

180 North Michigan Ave. Ste. 1150 Chicago, Illinois 60601

BRINGING HEALTHY MOUTHS TO LIFE FALL NEWSLETTER WWW.ORALHEALTHAMERICA.ORG

Oral Health America is a registered 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization.

Your gift is tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

DONATE TODAY AT

WWW.ORALHEALTHAMERICA.ORG

Oral Health America

Smile4Health

DOING MORE WITH LESS THANKS TO SMILES ACROSS AMERICA Imagine living in a place with long winters, treacherous roads, and the nearest dentist is located 40-70 miles away. This is what residents face in Granite County, Montana. The small but dedicated staff of the Granite County Medical Center is aiming for change with the help of OHA’s Smiles Across America® Product Donation Project.

“We were so excited to get the fluoride varnish and I couldn’t believe how fast it arrived,” she says. “We were just in the schools doing screenings and it was encouraging to see that a lot of the students have good teeth, but there were at least 10-20 kids at each school that had a lot of problems.”

After starting a mobile clinic in 2010, dental services are now offered in the medical center, with a dentist traveling twice a week to provide dental care and a hygienist coming 2-3 days a month.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE WORK OHA IS DOING TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO CARE ACROSS THE NATION. VISIT ORALHEALTHAMERICA.ORG AND DONATE TODAY