If Your Teeth Could Talk…

The Mouth Offers Clues to Disorders and Disease; Dentists Could Play Larger Role in Patient Care

WALL STREET JOURNAL | HEALTH JOURNAL
By MELINDA BECK

The eyes may be the window to the soul, but the mouth provides an even better view of the body as a whole.

Some of the earliest signs of diabetes, cancer, pregnancy, immune disorders, hormone imbalances and drug issues show up in the gums, teeth and tongue—sometimes long before a patient knows anything is wrong.

There’s also growing evidence that oral health problems, particularly gum disease, can harm a patient’s general health as well, raising the risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, pneumonia and pregnancy complications.

“We have lots of data showing a direct correlation between inflammation in the mouth and inflammation in the body,” says Anthony Iacopino, director of the International Centre for Oral-Systemic Health, which opened at the University of Manitoba Faculty of Dentistry in Canada in 2008. Recent studies also show that treating gum disease improves circulation, reduces inflammation and can even reduce the need for insulin in people with diabetes.

Such findings are fueling a push for dentists to play a greater role in patients’ overall health. Some 20 million Americans—including 6% of children and 9% of adults—saw a dentist but not a doctor in 2008, according to a study in the American Journal of Public Health this month.

Read the complete Wall Street Journal article (December 27, 2011)

Healthy Teeth Happy Babies Recognized Nationally

The Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP) in Washington DC recently selected Healthy Teeth Happy Babies for its Best Practices Program. As an Emerging Practice in the field of infant and prenatal oral health, reviewers felt the public education campaign has “great potential and could be used in any geographic area where dental disease is a problem.”

Inclusion in the AMCHP Best Practices Program is a result of peer review by leading public health experts. This designation affirms that the campaign has been effective in its goal of helping to prevent oral disease and reduce the barriers to dental care for pregnant women and children in Colorado.

We are honored to be recognized as a model bilingual community-based social marketing campaign with great potential.
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AMCHP is a national resource, partner and advocate for state public health leaders and others working to improve the health of women, children, youth and families, including those with special health care needs.
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Halloween Candy Exchange A Big Success!

On November 5^th, Healthy Teeth Happy Babies and the Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation sponsored a candy exchange in partnership with Chick-fil-A and Denver radio station 95.7 The Party. The event inspired nearly 30 families to exchange over 100lbs. of candy and take action to improve their dental health.

Throughout October, the event was promoted by DJ Issa Lopez on radio broadcasts, websites and using social media. Great prizes helped to motivate families and included movie tickets, coupons for free Chick-fil-A, DVDs and other giveaways from the radio station. The grand prize was a Nintendo 3DS game system.

Families brought in bags of Halloween candy ranging from three to 13lbs. As candy was weighed and exchanged, participants received oral health info and tips from Delta Dental of Colorado representatives. All of the exchanged Halloween candy was sent to troops overseas through Operation Gratitude.

The candy exchange was a great opportunity to interact directly with parents and children. Through these types of community events, we are able to make real progress toward eradicating dental disease in Colorado’s children.