November 2008 e-Newsletter Dear Friends, This fall, winds of change are sweeping across the American landscape, giving many of us renewed faith in the opportunities that characterize our country. Oral Health America, is thrilled to congratulate our former Honorary Gala Chair, fellow-Chicagoan Barack Obama, as President-elect of the United States. President-elect Obama has promised to make health insurance affordable and accessible to all. He has acknowledged the importance of preventive services, and is committed to investing in health information technology and care coordination. These are strategies that will make a significant difference in improving the health and well-being of all Americans, including their dental health. Oral Health America is responding to our President-elect's request for help by working to expand our support for communities that are committed to delivering oral health care to uninsured and underserved children, older Americans and people with special needs. We are engaging new partners in programs and policies to improve dental health, including increased collaboration between medical and dental professionals. Our new strategic plan expands our mission and commitment to end dental disease, and honors a spirit of cooperation in making that happen. United States Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher (Retired) referred to oral disease in our country as a silent epidemic. Tooth decay, an infectious disease that affects almost half of all second graders, and almost 80 percent of 17-year-olds, is the number one unmet health need among children in the United States. School children miss over 52 million school hours and adults lose more than 164 million hours of work each year due to dental-related illness. Poor oral health affects employability, nutrition, sleep, and overall health. And yet, dental disease is preventable. Healthcare reform must ensure that all Americans are able to obtain the preventive and restorative dental care they need, and that illnesses of the mouth are treated the same as illnesses of the body in insurance coverage. I invite you to work with us to bring a voice to the silent epidemic of dental disease. Let us know your dreams for oral health coverage, by clicking here and sending us an e-mail today. Now is the time to make our dreams a reality. Sincerely, Beth Truett Oral Health America Contributes to National Summit on Children's Oral Health Care On Saturday, November 7, Oral Health America's President and CEO Beth Truett and Director of Communications Elizabeth Rogers joined over 100 child health leaders at a summit investigating progress on children's oral health since the release of the U.S. Surgeon General's Report on Oral Health in America (2000). The summit was hosted by the American Academy of Pediatrics, which has made oral health a top priority. Oral Health America contributed a document summarizing collaborative efforts across the country that are advancing children's oral health. Despite the expansion of promising programs, science, technology, and policies, too many children are suffering from untreated dental disease, and in fact, tooth decay is increasing among young children. The Summit web site, which includes abstracts can be accessed by clicking here. "Systemic change takes time, and we commend our colleagues, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, for all they are doing to make oral health a priority," said Elizabeth Rogers, Oral Health America's Director of Communications. "But we have an imperative to act now and take advantage of healthcare reform to bring about the change Americans desperately need to stay healthy and productive." Success in Minnesota for Smiles Across America Program
The reasons for Smiles Across Minnesota's success in expanding care to new schools are numerous, including enthusiastic support from the St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman and the St. Paul Schools Superintendent Meria Carstarphen, who recognize the need for services and the health benefits of supporting oral health. Recent coverage in the Star Tribune and on ABC News KAAL-TV underscore Smiles Across Minnesota's ability to promote school oral health services to the community. The Smiles Across America program model incorporates media outreach and messaging development to help stakeholders make the case for oral health as a critical component to overall health. Oral Health America is grateful to two of our corporate partners, Patterson Dental and 3M ESPE, based in St. Paul for their ongoing support of Smiles Across America. Partnering for Improved Oral Health: Oral Health America, Health Heart Project for Women and Rush University College of Nursing 
Through the generous donation of toothbrushes from Oral Health America, the nation’s premier advocacy group dedicated to improving oral health for all Americans, participants in the Healthy Heart Project for Women learned about the importance of oral health to overall good health and well being. The Healthy Heart Project for Women is a project of Chicago Lights Center for Whole Health, a community outreach program serving 7,000 people in inner-city Chicago. The Healthy Heart Project strives to improve the cardiovascular health of medically underserved women. The project serves the residents of Deborah’s Place and Sanctuary Place, housing programs for formerly homeless women. On October 30th, just in time for Halloween, participants in the project at Deborah’s Place had the opportunity to actively learn about the importance of good oral health to their overall health. Rush University nursing students, in partnership with the Healthy Heart Project, provided the residents with an interactive learning session on oral health. Incorporated into the session was proper brushing techniques using toothbrushes donated by our corporate partners 1-800 Dentist and Sunstar America. Oral health problems are more prevalent among those with a history of homelessness. Through this generous donation of toothbrushes from Oral Health America and the good work from the Rush nursing students, the Healthy Heart Project for Women has been able to make steps toward improving the oral health of its participants, and ultimately toward improving their overall health as well. To contact us for more information on how Oral Health America can help your organization with in-kind gifts click here. Oral Health America Welcomes Kristen White 
Kristen White has joined Oral Health America as e-Communications and Development Coordinator. Kristen comes to Oral Health America from Hawaii Pacific Health, which included several hospitals in Honolulu, where she served as Development Specialist. At Oral Health America, Kristen will expand and improve our presence on the web; maximize the use of our database to communicate with existing and new Oral Health America “stakeholders”; develop social networking opportunities in Oral Health America's communications orbit; work with the team to create and design compelling campaigns and participate in work with outside marketing and PR firms. Kristen holds a BFA from Kansas State University; she is interested in architecture and has been an active volunteer with the Adopt-a-Grandparent program in Kansas City's Lakeview retirement community. Watch for Kristen's improvements to our website and e-communications tools! Gala Tickets Available On-line Oral Health America's 19th Annual Gala & Benefit will be held on Thursday, February 26, 2009. The benefit serves as Oral Health America's premier fundraising event, annually providing significant support for our programs. Over 1,000 supporters attended last year's gala and tickets sold out several weeks in advance for the event. For more information, or to reserve your seat, visit our events page by clicking here. Thank you for your support! Another way to support Oral Health America is to use the search engine www.goodsearch.com. Simply enter Oral Health America in the "who do you search for" field. Each time you search, a small contribution will be made to Oral Health America.
Mission: Oral Health America is working to eliminate oral disease by connecting resources, empowering communities, and influencing public policies and practices. To learn about how you can participate, e-mail us: info@oralhealthamerica.org. Vol. 4, Issue 6, November 2008 |
This week, OHA's President and CEO Beth Truett, and Director of Programs Sue Dodd participated in Smiles Across Minnesota Advisory Council co-chaired by Ann Johnson, Delta Dental and Sarah Wovcha, Children's Dental Services, an oral health coalition supported by Oral Health America's
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