OHA 2014 Brochure

ORAL HEALTH AMERICA

B R I N G I N G H E A LT H Y MOUTHS TO LIFE

O R A L H E A LT H A M E R I C A . O R G

WISDOM TOOTH PROJECT® The Wisdom Tooth Project (WTP) focuses on TM

older Americans and the current oral health crisis facing this rapidly growing segment of the population. The program includes: • TOOTHWISDOM.ORG : Launched in October 2013, toothwisdom.org is a first-of-its-kind web portal providing oral health information and local and national resources for older adults, caregivers, and oral health professionals who work with older adults.

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• DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS: OHA is partnering with organizations throughout the country to focus on oral health for older adults, from an Oral Medicine Clinic at the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine to a web portal pilot project in Connecticut to disparities research through the University of Florida College of Dentistry.

• PUBLICATIONS: OHA released A State of Decay, a biennial publication highlighting multiple gaps in oral health care for seniors by grading states on five leading service delivery and public health indicators of older adult oral health. The most recent edition released in 2013 can be accessed on toothwisdom.org.

• REGIONAL SYMPOSIA: Focusing on the unique needs and challenges facing older adults, these collaborative events unite a diverse group of health professionals and community leaders with the aim of inspiring strategic change to improve the oral health of older adults.

Campaign for Oral Health Equity is OHA’s

umbrella program for campaigns and events that educate the public, including policy makers, about the importance of oral health for overall health, and emphasize the need to prioritize oral diseases along with other serious chronic health conditions.

• FALL FOR SMILES: An annual public opinion survey and communications campaign that partners with oral healthcare professionals to educate consumers about the importance of maintaining a healthy mouth through daily brushing and flossing, regular dental visits, healthy eating and tobacco avoidance.

• PARTNERSHIP FOR HEALTHY MOUTHS, HEALTHY LIVES: OHA is a managing partner in this dental coalition that works with the Ad Council on a consumer campaign to improve the oral health of America’s children. We are reaching families through the 2min2X.org website, including 2-minute brushing videos, and through an oral health curriculum created with Scholastic.

• NSTEP® (NATIONAL SPIT TOBACCO EDUCATION PROGRAM) is a public awareness campaign focused on the impact of smokeless tobacco products on oral health.

NSTEP partners with the Little League World Series by sponsoring a slogan contest for youth which encourages young people to avoid spit and smokeless tobacco, and encourages Americans of all ages to quit.

SMILES ACROSS AMERICA®

Smiles Across America® (SAA) is celebrating

its tenth year of bringing needed oral health care and education to children across the country in school-based and school-linked settings through four key initiatives: • GRANT FUNDING: OHA provides hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant funding annually to organizations that provide dental care in school-based settings, allowing them to treat more children at more schools each year. Since the program’s inception, OHA has donated over $2 million.

• PRODUCT DONATION: More than 500,000 units of donated dental product are distributed each year through SAA, from sealants and fluoride varnish to toothbrushes and toothpaste. These products are generously supplied by leading corporate partners.

• TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE: OHA supports partner organizations throughout the country with regular informational webinars, grant writing assistance, and communications tools to help them expand and improve their programs.

• SEALANT INITIATIVE: Through the Seal 2 Million campaign, OHA has committed to sealing two million teeth on 500,000 children by 2020. Thanks to the support of our SAA partners, we’re already over half way to our goal.

ABOUT OHA Oral Health America (OHA) is a national nonprofit organization founded in 1955 and located in Chicago. OHA is an umbrella organization comprised of three key programs: Smiles Across America®, Wisdom Tooth Project™, and Campaign for Oral Health Equity. Our mission is to change lives by connecting communities with resources to increase access to care, education, and advocacy for all Americans, especially those most vulnerable.

• ACCESS: OHA increases access to and utilization of the nation’s oral health delivery system through funding, technical assistance, and donated dental product, benefitting nearly 500,000 million Americans each year.

• EDUCATION: OHA fosters oral health literacy through messages to the American public, generating over 500 million audience impressions annually.

• ADVOCACY: OHA speaks for the American consumer through campaigns focused on the importance of mouth health and encourages policies that make oral health equity a priority for all 316 million Americans.

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O R A L H E A LT H A M E R I C A .O R G ORAL HEALTH AMERICA 180 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 1150 Chicago, IL 60601 T: (312) 836-9900 | F: (312) 836-9986