Hello, and welcome to the latest edition of Word of Mouth – April 2014.
Now that the clocks have gone forward there is certainly a spring in the air.
National Smile Month is now only a matter of weeks away, and for those of you who like to leave things until the last minute, there is still time to get involved. You can read about what you can do and how some of the nation’s biggest names are backing the campaign later on in the issue.
The messages of the campaign are brought into sharp focus with news emanating from America, as research there suggests looking after your oral health could leave you financially better-off. Money remains a major influence when it comes to oral health, and this research highlights how important it is to get the right oral healthcare, regardless of financial matters.
Brushing your teeth for two minutes twice a day only takes up 4 minutes out of 1,440 in a day. This promoted us to ask what else can you do in four minutes? We start off our series by talking to our very own Dental Advisor at the Foundation, Karen Coates. Head to page eight to read some excellent tips on how to look after your oral health this summer.
In this issue we also feature the extraordinary story of a Swiss national who travelled almost 900 miles for dental treatment here in the UK. It’s a timely reminder of the excellent service provided here in the UK, and a warning for anyone thinking about ‘dental tourism’.
I hope you enjoy the issue, and I will see you in National Smile Month!
Oral Health Foundation
The Oral Health Foundation is a charity that works to improve oral health by providing education, advice, and support to millions of people every year, changing lives for the better. Our mission is to support others in achieving a healthier life through better oral health. Our vision is to live in a world where everybody has a healthy mouth and is free of dental disease. Poor oral health can have a harmful and devastating effect on a person’s life – both for their physical health and mental wellbeing. We are determined to help more people achieve good oral health and have a better quality of life. Sadly, oral disease remains common, across the life course. We are taking the challenge to reduce the harm caused by poor oral health and the responsibility to create a healthier future for everybody. We do this because we believe that everybody deserves to have good oral health. To make sure this happens, by 2024, we will:
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• Work towards decreasing the prevalence of oral disease across communities.
• Increase the number of people accessing our help and information services.
• Diversify our range of resources to reach more communities.
• Successfully campaign for policies which help people achieve healthier lives.
• Generate new and nurture existing income streams that enable us to deliver our charitable objectives.
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• Running awareness campaigns like National Smile Month and Mouth Cancer Action Month.
• Giving anybody who needs it direct support through our Dental Helpline.
• Influencing policy on subjects like dental access, sugar, and tobacco.
• Providing consumer advice on oral health care products and working alongside manufacturers to make sure products do what they claim to do.
• Creating resources and information that communicates positive oral health messages.
• Working alongside others who share our passion for health and wellbeing.
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