The DentaQuest Foundation has renewed its

funding for the final phase of development

and launch of OHA’s Wisdom Tooth Project®

website. The funding will enable OHA to

reach older adults and their caregivers on

a national and state basis, with assistance

from award-winning public relations agency

Edelman. The website features articles by

experts in the dental field about important

oral health topics facing older adults and

ways to connect with local resources.

ToothWisdom.org is undergoing live testing

and will be introduced at an industry event at

OHA’s corporate headquarters in Chicago on

May 15, 2013.

The new Wisdom Tooth Project website is

one of five strategies OHA is implementing

to provide older adults and their caregivers

information and resources about oral care

and to raise public awareness about the

need to take action. The goal of the website

is to promote the importance of prevention

at every age; connect older adults to

resources needed to access care; create a

singular place where dental, medical, and

allied health professionals as well as older

adult advocates can find resources, and to

connect and build communities on a national

and state level needed to excite systemic

change. OHA will also launch a 10 year

anniversary addition of State of Decay, a

report that examines the oral health of older

adults on a state-by-state basis.

INTERESTED IN BECOMING A CONTENT EXPERT FOR TOOTHWISDOM.ORG?

CONTACT: ALLYSON.SUPOWITZ ORALHEALTHAMERICA.ORG.

Get Online with the Wisdom Tooth Project

ORAL HEALTH AMERICABRINGING HEALTHY MOUTHS TO LIFE SPRING 2013

ORALHEALTHAMERICA.ORG

President and CEO

DEAR FRIENDS OF OHA,Did you know that 10,000 Americans

reach retirement age every day and that

only 2% have dental insurance? This is

one of many alarming statistics about

the oral health of older adults that is

moving OHA to act now. OHA’s Wisdom

Tooth Project® (WTP) is dedicated to

helping our nation’s most vulnerable

population, older adults, gain access

to oral health resources. Henry Schein

and the Henry Schein Cares Foundation

is helping OHA to stem this crisis by

matching gifts dollar-for-dollar up to

$20,000 through May 31. Give now, and

double your impact.

We appreciate your support in helping OHA

bring healthy mouths to life,

REVVING UP EXCITEMENT OVER HEALTHY MOUTHS

OHA teamed up with Give Kids a Smile (GKAS)

with participation in two NASCAR events this

spring. The events took place in California and Missouri,

where OHA coordinated a dental education event at

Troth Elementary School in Jurupa Valley and J.A. Rogers

Elementary in Kansas City, featuring the members of the

No. 16 3M Ford Fusion race team and the No. 16 3M race

car. More than 1,800 students learned about the importance

of oral health and received oral care kits containing Trident©

sugar-free gum, toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, and a

Thomas and Friends Spinbrush from Arm & Hammer. Thanks

to GKAS and 3M for this great opportunity to teach kids

about the importance of a healthy smile!

Bringing Oral Healthcare to Children with LISTERINE®

Oral Health America has joined the LISTERINE® Brand to

promote gum health and bring needed oral health care

to children across the country. The makers of LISTERINE®

Brand mouthwash are calling on all Americans to take

a 21 Day Challenge, by swishing with LISTERINE®

Antiseptic twice a day for 21 days to improve their oral

health. For every person who signs up for the challenge,

the LISTERINE® Brand will make a contribution to help

OHA’s Smiles Across America® (SAA) program toward

our goal of connecting up to 210,000 at risk children

with needed oral health services in 2013. The challenge

kicked off with a media event in New York City where

actress Ginnifer Goodwin took a swish of LISTERINE® that

triggered a $21,000 donation to SAA.

Visit LISTERINE’s Facebook page at

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/LISTERINE

to sign up for the challenge and support SAA.

TAKE THE CHALLENGE

OHA’s Board of Directors is happy to welcome Dr. Foti Panagakos,

Associate Director of Clinical Dental

Research and Development Division of

Colgate-Palmolive Company, Paula Vogel,

Corporate Communications and Public

Relations Manager at A-dec, and Dr. Ernie

Garcia, Assistance Clinical Professor, USCF

School of Dentistry, to the board. Our staff

is also expanding with Brittany Wright,

eCommunications and Events Coordinator;

Tina Montgomery, Programs Manager; and

Marie Pospichal, Development Coordinator.

NEW FACES AT OHAThe Affordable Care Act originally called for children’s

dental coverage to be considered an essential health

benefit in state exchanges. However, the Department of Health

and Human Services has said that plans can be certified without

pediatric dental coverage as long as they offer a stand-alone plan.

This means that families will be able to purchase health insurance for

their children without dental coverage.

Visit ORALHEALTHAMERICA.ORG to sign up for our advocacy

alerts to stay on top of this and other important issues facing oral

health in this country.

CONCERN FOR KIDS’ ORAL HEALTH IN AMERICA

A NIGHT TO CELEBRATE ORAL HEALTH

P R I N T I N G G E N E R O U S LY D O N AT E D BY:

The 23rd Annual Gala and Benefit took place on February 20 at Chicago’s Navy Pier, hosting 800 guests

and raising more than $550,000 in funds for OHA’s programs. At the top of the evening, OHA recognized Donald

“Mac” McKenzie with the Gala Tribute Award for his years of stewardship over the organization. Mac’s legend

has fundamentally changed the way this nation’s children view the dangers of smokeless tobacco though his

involvement with OHA’s NSTEP® (National Spit Tobacco Education Program). Thank you to our sponsors and

supporters for helping us to advance our mission: connecting communities with resources to improve oral health.

Oral Health America is a registered 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization.

Your gift is tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

DONATE TODAY AT

WWW.ORALHEALTHAMERICA.ORG

180 North Michigan Ave. Ste. 1150 Chicago, Illinois 60601

BRINGING HEALTHY MOUTHS TO LIFE FALL NEWSLETTER WWW.ORALHEALTHAMERICA.ORG

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAID PATTERSON

DENTAL

Oral Health America Smile4Health

“We were so excited to get the fluoride varnish and

I couldn’t believe how fast it arrived,” she says. “We

were just in the schools doing screenings and it was

encouraging to see that a lot of the students have good

teeth, but there were at least 10-20 kids at each school

that had a lot of problems.”

Imagine living in a place with long winters, treacherous roads,

and the nearest dentist is located 40-70 miles away. This is

what residents face in Granite County, Montana. The small but

dedicated staff of the Granite County Medical Center is aiming for

change with the help of OHA’s Smiles Across America® Product

Donation Project.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE WORK OHA IS DOING TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO CARE ACROSS THE NATION. VISIT ORALHEALTHAMERICA.ORG AND DONATE TODAY

DOING MORE WITH LESS THANKS TO SMILES ACROSS AMERICA

After starting a mobile clinic in 2010, dental services are now

offered in the medical center, with a dentist traveling twice a week

to provide dental care and a hygienist coming 2-3 days a month.