The theme of this year's Dental Health Week (DHW), to be held from Monday 7 to Sunday 13 August, aims to change all that by shining a spotlight on the importance of this connection.
The messaging of 'Mind, Body, Mouth. It's all connected' aims to drive home the point to people that brushing and flossing their teeth, seeing their dentist regularly, and eating well all play key roles in their body's health.
It's a timely message, with a variety of studies confirming that a majority of those polled are unaware that medical conditions could be impacted by or can impact oral health.
A 2021 study out of James Cook University underscored how little awareness there is of this link, with Professor Alan Nimmo seeking to examine "what people knew about the link between oral health and disease – in particular how poor oral health can affect other areas of the body".
"It's been recognised for decades that systemic inflammation can influence the onset and severity of oral disease and that it goes both ways; inflammation of the gums can affect inflammation in other parts of the body," said Prof. Nimmo.
His work referenced a 2016 World Health Organization study that revealed that more than 3.5 billion people had an oral disease of some kind, with more than 100 systemic diseases associated with "oral manifestations", and that people are in need of health education overall, especially those with heart disease and diabetes.
In light of these and other findings, this year's DHW campaign will explore six connections:
• Atherogenic Cardiovascular Disease
• Type II Diabetes
• Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes
• Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
• Respiratory Conditions
• Neurodegenerative Disease
It's well recognised that the promotion of the oral and systemic health connection increases awareness of the importance of practicing good oral health and, to that end, the ADA has worked closely with organisations such as Rethink Sugary Drink – of which the ADA is a partner organisation – along with the Cancer Council, the Heart Foundation and the AMA.
Dentists have a key role to play in the identification of oral health diseases, and Dental Health Week is the perfect opportunity to educate patients on the possible connections between oral health and systemic health conditions.
YOUR DHW RESOURCES
To help you make the most of DHW, the ADA has created a range of resources that you and your team can use to help promote the key message of mouth and whole-body connections. The resources can be downloaded from dentalhealthweek.org.au and consist of:
• An Event Handbook;
• Bunting for clinic decorations;
• A poster that can easily be printed at your local print shop or Officeworks and will be included with the July News Bulletin;
• A Powerpoint template for all your presentation requirements;
• A general article to help you reach out to local media;
• Social media posts, infographics and digital banners; and
• A t-shirt design and a colouring-in sheet.
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