OHA Spring 2014 Newsletter

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ORAL HEALTH AMERICA BRINGING HEALTHY MOUTHS TO LIFE

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

SPRING 2014

BRINGING HEALTHY MOUTHS TO LIFE SPRING 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

Oral Health America

OHA’S GALA & BENEFIT MAKES HISTORY

DEAR FRIENDS OF OHA,

The Wisdom Tooth Project

The War on Poverty started with

Helps Older Adults

President Johnson in 1964, but

GET SMART About Their Mouths

we have a long way to go to ensure that all Americans have access to the oral healthcare they need to maintain a healthy mouth. Every dollar given to OHA supports impactful programs that OHA’s 24th Annual Gala & Benefit was the most successful in the event’s history, breaking all previous fundraising re-

bring needed oral healthcare and

cords for OHA’s programs and campaigns and selling out for the first time with more than 850 people in attendance!

education to the country’s most

Before the gala, Dr. Anthony Volpe was honored with this year’s Gala Tribute Award for his more than 40 years of dedication to the dental industry through his work with countless dental organizations, universities and as Vice Presi-

vulnerable populations. Visit www.

dent of Clinical Research and Scientific Affairs at Colgate-Palmolive. During the gala, Patterson and Patterson Dental

oralhealthamerica.org to make a

Foundation were recognized for giving a total of $1 million to support OHA’s work. To get a first-hand glimpse of

gift today and support oral health

this great event, visit OHA’s Gala & Benefit webpage at www.oralhealthamerica.org for a video recap courtesy of The

care for Americans who need it

Dental Geek.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE WORK OHA IS DOING TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO CARE ACROSS THE NATION. VISIT ORALHEALTHAMERICA.ORG AND ©2014 Oral Health America

DONATE TODAY!!

®Wisdom Tooth Project and Smiles Across America are registered trademarks of Oral Health America

most.

President and CEO

Older Americans are living longer and more independent lives than ever before, making oral health self-care especially important to prevent dental diseases that can impact overall health. That’s why OHA’s Wisdom Tooth Project® (WTP) is creating “Tooth Wisdom: Get Smart About Your Mouth,” a health education program for older adults. The program’s goal is to empower older adults to improve their oral health through daily self-care and to increase their knowledge about oral health.

To ensure the program is scientifically accurate and accessible, an older adult advisory committee has been assembled consisting of professionals who attended last year’s “Collaborative Health Care for

Older Adults: A Symposium for Creating Inter-Professional Community Models” and have a continued interest in geriatric oral health. The committee meets regularly to discuss the education program and offer their recommendations.

The continued expansion of the WTP is made possible by the generous support of Aspen Dental, the American Dental Education Association, Colgate, Ivoclar Vivadent, Henry Schein, the Henry Schein Cares Foundation and United Concordia. To learn more about all of OHA’s work for older adults and to access educational materials and local resources, please visit toothwisdom.org.

ORALHEALTHAMERICA.ORG

Kids’ Healthy Mouths Campaign Educates

Smiles Across America Expands During

Millions of Children About Oral Health

Milestone Year to Reach More Children

As part of the Partnership for Healthy Mouths, Healthy Lives coalition, OHA has been involved with the Ad Council’s overwhelmingly successful 2min2x campaign since the beginning, educating parents and kids about the importance of oral health habits. Most recently the campaign partnered with Scholastic to provide 125,000 teachers across the country with oral health edu-

In February, SAA welcomed the Oak

would otherwise not have access

Park River Forest Infant Welfare So-

to dental care. In April, SAA in-

ciety Children’s Clinic with a brush-

troduced CHRISTUS St. Frances

cation materials, reaching more than 3.75 million children and their families. Of those surveyed,

Smiles Across America® (SAA) is

a-thon event with Dr. Fresh® LLC and

Cabrini Hospital in Alexandria, LA,

96 percent of teachers say they have used or plan to use the materials with their class and 94

celebrating ten years of reaching

its popular Firefly® kids’ toothbrush

to the program with a celebration at

percent say the materials will change their students’ oral health behaviors. Learn more about

children with needed oral health

brand in honor of National Children’s

Cloutierville Elementary and Junior

the campaign and access educational materials at 2min2x.org.

care and education. Launched in

Dental Health Month at Pershing

High School. CHRISTUS St. Frances

2004, SAA provides oral disease

Elementary School in Berwyn, IL.

Cabrini Hospital provides medical

prevention services for children who

The Children’s Clinic has provided

services through 17 school-based

Donated Dental Products Help Organizations

are uninsured and underserved due

healthcare to low-income children

centers and with funding from SAA

to issues of poverty. The program

Reach Those in Need

for 96 years, and through its por-

and the Patterson Foundation, will

now reaches over 440,000 children

table dentistry program, travels

be able to offer dental care as well,

annually and continues to expand,

to schools to provide oral exams,

with 2,200 students to receive ser-

recently welcoming two new organi-

cleanings, fluoride treatments and

vices this school year.

zations to the SAA family.

dental sealants to students who

The Smiles Across America® (SAA) Product Donation Project distributes more than 500,000 units of donated dental product each year, including toothpaste from Tom’s of Maine that the Inland Health Project in Rancho Cucamonga, CA (pictured here), recently received. Visit the SAA webpage at

MEET THE NEWEST MEMBERS OF

www.oralhealthamerica.org to learn more about the Product Donation Project and how your organization can get involved.

OHA

LISTERINE Supports Healthy Mouths for Kids with a Swish and a Smile

LISTERINE® launched their second annual 21-Day Challenge this February with a launch event at The Children’s Dental Center of Greater Los Angeles, a Smiles Across America® (SAA) partner.

Actress Elizabeth Banks kicked things off with a $21,000 Swish Selfie for SAA. The brand ran a Swish Selfie campaign earlier this year, donating $5 to SAA for every Selfie uploaded to their Facebook page, and will continue to support SAA throughout 2014. Thanks to LISTERINE for recognizing the importance of healthy mouths for kids and to everyone who participated in the campaign. Stay

OHA continues to fulfill our mis-

Tara Harper, Graphic Designer Chris

programs. Chris has previously done

sion of changing lives by connect-

Wasko and Database Associate Jon-

design work for the Law Bulletin Co.,

ing communities with resources to

athan Mayo. Sue comes to us from

Leading Lawyers Magazine and Den-

increase access to care, education

Aon Hewitt, where she worked as

Mat and Jonathan has been a temp

and advocacy for all Americans, es-

a marketing leader. Tara previously

for OHA in the past and is active in

pecially those most vulnerable. Most

worked as a corporate treasury

local theater. Welcome!

recently, OHA welcomed Director of

management sales consultant for

Marketing and Corporate Sponsor-

Northern Trust Bank and as a grant

ships Susan Schmitz, Program Re-

consultant and program evaluator

search and Development Manager

for state, federal and private grant

tuned for more information about the SAA partnership with LISTERINE!

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 :