Dental Tribune U.S. Edition

Publisher & Chairman Torsten Oemus t.oemus@dental-tribune.com Chief Operating Officer Eric Seid e.seid@dental-tribune.com Group Editor & Designer Robin Goodman r.goodman@dental-tribune.com Editor in Chief Dental Tribune Dr. David L. Hoexter d.hoexter@dental-tribune.com Managing Editor/Designer Implant, Endo & Lab Tribunes Sierra Rendon s.rendon@dental-tribune.com Managing Editor/Designer Ortho Tribune & Show Dailies Kristine Colker k.colker@dental-tribune.com Online Editor Fred Michmershuizen f.michmershuizen@dental-tribune.com Product & Account Manager Mark Eisen m.eisen@dental-tribune.com Marketing Manager Anna Wlodarczyk a.wlodarczyk@dental-tribune.com Sales & Marketing Assistant Lorrie Young l.young@dental-tribune.com C.E. Manager Julia E. Wehkamp j.wehkamp@dental-tribune.com C.E. International Sales Manager Christiane Ferret c.ferret@dtstudyclub.com Dental Tribune America, LLC 116 West 23rd Street, Suite 500 New York, NY 10011 Tel.: (212) 244-7181 Fax: (212) 244-7185 Published by Dental Tribune America © 2011 Dental Tribune America, LLC All rights reserved. Dental Tribune strives to maintain the utmost accuracy in its news and clini- cal reports. If you find a factual error or content that requires clarification, please contact Group Editor Robin Goodman at r.goodman@dental-tribune.com. Dental Tribune cannot assume respon- sibility for the validity of product claims or for typographical errors. The pub- lisher also does not assume responsibility for product names or statements made by advertisers. Opinions expressed by authors are their own and may not reflect those of Dental Tribune America. Dr. Joel Berg Dr. L. Stephen Buchanan Dr. Arnaldo Castellucci Dr. Gorden Christensen Dr. Rella Christensen Dr. William Dickerson Hugh Doherty Dr. James Doundoulakis Dr. David Garber Dr. Fay Goldstep Dr. Howard Glazer Dr. Harold Heymann Dr. Karl Leinfelder Dr. Roger Levin Dr. Carl E. Misch Dr. Dan Nathanson Dr. Chester Redhead Dr. Irwin Smigel Dr. Jon Suzuki Dr. Dennis Tartakow Dr. Dan Ward Editorial Board DENTAL TRIBUNE The World’s Dental Newspaper · US Edition News DENTAL TRIBUNE | September 20112A need for policies and programs that support dental care and educational resources for them. “The findings from the public opinion survey reinforce why Oral Healthcare Can’t Wait is involved with Fall for Smiles,” said Gary Price, president of the Dental Trade Alliance. “The messages that Fall for Smiles promotes are vital when Americans are making choices about how to allocate resources and stay healthy.” Oral Health America is a national, non-profit organization dedicated to changing lives by connecting com- munities with resources to increase access to dental care, education and advocacy. The Fall for Smiles Sur- vey is sponsored by Oral Healthcare Can’t Wait and Plackers, a brand of consumer oral care products, and conducted by Harris Interactive. The survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of Oral Health America in June 2011. Fall for Smiles is supported by Aspen Dental, DentaQuest, Ivoclar Vivadent, Midmark, OralDNA Labs, Patterson Dental, Plackers and Young Dental. DT (Source: PRWEB) educate Americans about why oral health is important, and to ensure that all Americans, particularly those most vulnerable to disease, are able to obtain the care they need.” Additional findings in the public opinion survey found that a greater number — nearly one-half (47 per- cent) — of larger households and those with younger children have cut back on their visits to the dentist in the past year. Those who have younger children cut back more fre- quently than those households that have slightly older children. This further emphasizes the impact the economic downturn is having on young families who are struggling to get established and the Fall for Smiles runs through the end of October. Dental offices, health educators, school dental program officials, parents and others can find a variety of tools to promote healthy mouths, including a social media guide, coloring sheets and campaign handbook by visiting www.oral healthamerica.org/fallforsmiles. “Fall for Smiles reminds fami- lies to prioritize the health of their mouths in back-to-school routines,” said Beth Truett, president and CEO of Oral Health America. “The com- mitment to dental health starts at home, and continues with regular visits to a dental care provider. We have a societal responsibility to Tell us what you think! Do you have general comments or criticism you would like to share? Is there a particular topic you would like to see more articles about? Let us know by e-mailing us at feedback@dental-tribune.com. If you would like to make any change to your subscription (name, address or to opt out) please send us an e-mail at database@dental-tribune.com and be sure to include which publication you are referring to. Also, please note that subscription changes can take up to 6 weeks to process. tion and health to support AB 1433, which requires children to have a dental checkup by May 31 of their first year of enrollment in a public school (kindergarten or first grade). The intent of the law is to deter- mine unmet dental needs, support children’s school readiness and encourage regular dental care. Fur- ther, it carries an essential mes- sage to parents about the important relationship between a child’s oral health and overall health and pro- vides simple tips for keeping chil- dren healthy. A list of the top performing school districts and counties supporting the Children’s Oral Health Assessment law is available at cda.org/1433. DT (Source: California Dental Association) demic among school-age children. Tooth decay is the most common chronic childhood disease, more common than asthma and obesity, affecting nearly two-thirds of Cali- fornia’s children by the time they reach third grade. Although tooth decay is eas- ily preventable, it is a progressive infection that does not heal without treatment. Left untreated, children’s dental disease can have debilitating effects, including chronic pain, dif- ficulty learning and inability to eat properly, smile and feel good about themselves. California children miss an esti- mated 874,000 school days each year due to dental problems, costing local school districts approximately $28.8 million. The CDA continues to work with its partners in educa- f DT page 1A The California Dental Association (CDA) has recognized the top Cali- fornia school districts for their ongo- ing efforts in support of the state’s Children’s Oral Health Assessment law (AB 1433) to ensure children’s oral health needs are being met. Sixty-four California school districts have collected and submitted data each year since the dental check-up program began in 2006. The top-performing districts include Sierra Plumas Unified, San Francisco Unified and Plumas Uni- fied. These districts consistent- ly make oral health a priority by obtaining and reporting the dental checkup data required by law every year. CDA recognizes the districts’ leadership in ensuring their school children are healthy and ready to learn. “It is important to understand the relationship between children’s oral health and their readiness to learn in school,” said CDA Presi- dent Andrew Soderstrom, DDS, a pediatric dentist. “We appreciate the efforts made by these school districts to ensure their students maintain good oral health; it provides them with the opportunity to learn and perform at their full potential.” Dental disease is a hidden epi- California Dental Association honors school districts for commitment to oral health Top California school districts are being recognized for supporting chil- dren’s oral health. (Photo/Isaiah Shook, www.dreamstime.com)