CHICAGO, September 10 – Grandfamilies are becoming more commonplace in today’s society with one-in-ten children residing full-time in their grandparents’ homes. According to Oral Health America’s (OHA) 2016 Public Opinion Poll conducted by Wakefield Research, 57% of grandparents delayed their own dental care to accommodate the cost of their grandchild’s dental care needs. OHA believes you can’t be healthy without a healthy mouth. That’s why OHA encourages all Americans to adopt good oral health habits as part of its annual public awareness campaign, Fall for Smiles. OHA will launch its first Advocacy Week on Sunday, September 11 through Friday, September 16.
Advocacy Week is a revamped advocacy effort within Oral Health America’s Fall for Smiles campaign, which focuses on the oral health of families. Everyone is encouraged to participate by spreading the word about the positive effects of daily brushing and flossing, regular dental visits, eating a healthy diet and avoiding tobacco products.
“The Fall for Smiles campaign provides tools to encourage good oral hygiene habits at home,, said Beth Truett, President & CEO of Oral Health America. “Advocacy Week will encourage people to learn and speak out about policies that impact their oral health.”
From Grandparents Day on Sunday, September 11 to activities on Capitol Hill and social media, OHA has developed opportunities to engage people in dialogue about the importance of oral health.
This year’s campaign highlights “grandfamilies” or kinship care to address the oral health issues that impact young and older generations. Fall for Smiles includes interactive quizzes and free downloadable resources that include a brushing chart, coloring sheet and tips for the whole family.
Fall for Smiles is generously sponsored by 3M; Trident; Oral Healthcare Can’t Wait, an initiative of Dental Trade Alliance; Patterson Dental; Hu-Friedy; Midmark Corporation; SciCan, Inc.; Septodont USA; Sunstar Americas, Inc.; Whip Mix Corporation; the Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention; National Dental Association; Crosstex Dentapure and Trident.
Learn more about Fall for Smiles and register to attend the webinar at oralhealthamerica.org/fallforsmiles.
