Dental Tribune U.S. Edition

f DT page 2A Hispanics also incorrectly answered true/false statements or were uncer- tain about the importance of brushing versus flossing, whether bleeding is normal during brushing and if mouth- wash provides oral health benefits beyond just freshening breath. • Close to half (45 percent) of His- panics lack dental insurance and nearly one in five (18 percent) have not visited the dentist at all in the past two years, compared to 12 percent of the general population. • Approximately six in 10 Hispanics feel that a higher representation of Spanish-speaking and Hispanic den- tists/hygienists in their community would help them “a lot” in achieving and maintaining better oral health. Other survey findings include: • While most Hispanics, as well as the general population, rated their overall oral health as excellent or good, Hispanics experience more oral health problems. • 65 percent of Hispanics said they experienced at least one oral health issue in the past year versus 53 per- cent of the general population. For more than one-third of Hispanics (36 percent), oral health problems expe- rienced in the past year were severe enough to impact their daily activities, compared with 22 percent of the gen- eral population. • Among Hispanic parents, many of these same knowledge gaps exist, as does the desire for more oral health information. Yet, eight in 10 Hispanic parents (82 percent) consider them- selves an excellent or a good source for teaching their children about oral health habits. • Aside from their dentist, Hispanics rely mostly on their parents and phy- sician for oral health education and information. “Crest and Oral-B are thrilled to partner with the HDA on this initia- tive to help shed light on oral health care practices among Hispanics in the U.S. and identify existing challenges,” said Ivan Lugo, DMD, MBA and P&G spokesperson. “This survey uncovered key gaps that can help provide the oral health care community with a con- crete starting point from which to turn awareness into action.” The HDA, Crest and Oral-B are committed to working together to improve the state of oral health among the growing U.S. Hispanic population. As a first step following the survey, the HDA, Crest and Oral-B have collabo- rated on an informational brochure highlighting key facts and debunking top misperceptions about oral care that will be placed in dental offices and other public areas nationwide. For more information about the survey, please visit www.hdassoc.org, www.dentalcare.com and www.crest complete.com/study. Survey methodology GfK Roper Public Affairs & Corpo- rate Communications conducted the survey from July 28 to Aug. 24. GfK Roper surveyed 1,000 Hispanic adults and 1,000 adults from the general population aged 18 and older who live in the continental U.S. Survey results were balanced to ensure that the age, gender, education and region of the participants reflected the Hispanic population and overall population in the U.S. Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary by more than plus or minus three percentage points from the result if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample. In other words, the margin of error is +/-3 percentage points at the 95 per- cent confidence level. About the HDA The Hispanic Dental Association is a national, non-profit organization composed of oral health professionals and students dedicated to promoting and improving the oral health of the Hispanic community and providing advocacy for Hispanic oral health pro- fessionals across the United States. The association works with a wide spectrum of individuals and organiza- tions to communicate to dental profes- sionals, students and the public. About Procter & Gamble P&G touches and improves the lives of about 4.4 billion people around the world with its portfolio of trusted, qual- ity brands. With operations in about 80 countries, P&G brands are available in more than 180 countries. Visit www. pg.com for news and information about P&G and its brands. About Crest A trusted leader in oral health, Crest was the first oral care brand to secure DENTAL TRIBUNE | December 2011 News 3A AD the American Dental Association Seal of Acceptance for a clinically proven fluoride toothpaste. Since first intro- ducing fluoride toothpaste 54 years ago, it is estimated that Crest has helped prevent more than half a bil- lion cavities in the U.S. Headquartered in Cincinnati, Crest is owned and dis- tributed by Procter & Gamble. About Oral-B Oral-B is a worldwide leader in the $5 billion brushing market. Part of Procter & Gamble, the brand includes manual and power tooth brushes, oral irriga- tors and interdental products such as dental floss. According to Oral-B, its tooth brushes are used by more den- tists globally than any other brand. DT (Sources: Hispanic Dental Association and Procter & Gamble)