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ACP Sponsors Children's Oral Health Campaign

The ACP is joining ADEA, the Ad Council and more than 35 leading dental organizations in The Partnership for Healthy Mouths, Healthy Lives to launch the first joint public service campaign to address children's oral health.

“This is a major initiative started by Mr. Gary Price and the Dental Trade Alliance," said Dr. Lily T. Garcia, ACP President. "The ACP supports this effort since we, as prosthodontists, often manage the ravages of poor oral health. Our endorsement can only contribute to improving patients’ lives, starting with the youngest!”

The Partnership for Healthy Mouths, Healthy Lives partnered with The Ad Council to produce this campaign. The Ad Council produces, distributes and promotes public service campaigns on behalf of non-profit organizations and government agencies in issue areas such as improving the quality of life for children, preventive health, education, community well being and strengthening families. The private, non-profit organization is known for such iconic advertising campaigns as Smokey Bear’s “Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires” and McGruff the Crime Dog’s “Take A Bite Out Of Crime.” These simple messages have been proven to motivate the public to take action.

The goal of the Partnership is to improve oral health in America and this campaign is the first step in meeting that goal. Ultimately, the Partnership wants to help people understand the critical importance of oral health and its relationship to total health. A single three-year campaign alone will not solve the oral health literacy problem, but this first step is an essential start to addressing this complex issue.

To raise the awareness of the importance of preventing dental disease and dental pain, success must be measured by increased knowledge of prevention, including seeking dental care on a regular basis.

The first phase of this major literacy effort will be focused on caregivers of children, starting with the basics -- “Oral health is important and you can take specific action to start the process of preventing dental disease and dental pain.” Millions of people do not understand even the basic elements of prevention such as brushing their teeth. By starting with certain simple, easily understood messages, the campaign will focus attention on the actionable steps that people can take to improve their oral health. After this initial step, they will be more receptive to other components of total oral care.

There are four basic steps to good oral health: brushing with fluoride toothpaste, flossing, practicing good nutrition and seeing your dentist. The primary goal is to have millions of American children start on the road to good health. By capturing the attention of caregivers, we hope to motivate them to take the first step towards implementing a lifetime of solid oral health habits.

We will distribute more information about the campaign and describe ways that you can help in this first major step toward good oral health for all. This is a major undertaking for our Partnership and the entire oral health community. You are a vital part of this campaign as we take our first step in the long process of achieving oral health in America.

We are excited to be part of this collaborative groundbreaking effort! Contact Carolyn Barth, ACP media relations manager, if you would like to discuss participating in news and media opportunities about this campaign.

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