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#TeethMatter: Raising the Volume on Oral Health

ByLynlee Espeseth

Did you know that a dentist or dental hygienist can spot early signs of 120 diseases, including heart disease, diabetes and several forms of cancer? Or that 90 percent of systemic diseases have symptoms in and around the mouth?

We are working with Delta Dental of Colorado and other partners across the state to better inform businesses, health professionals and the public about how closely connected oral health is to overall health.

By taking care of your oral health, you can help prevent or better manage many serious chronic health conditions. And you can increase your chances of living a long, healthy and productive life.

Oral health isn’t just a personal concern. The societal cost to poor oral health is staggering.

At Children’s Hospital Colorado, four of nine surgical rooms are devoted to dental procedures. An average of 10 dental operations are performed there each day – more than 3,500 in a year – that are almost entirely preventable with better oral health habits. Nationally, the number of hospital emergency room visits related to oral health more than doubled since 2000, costing the healthcare system $1.6 billion each year.

Through our oral health communications campaign, #TeethMatter, we hope to encourage Coloradans to make regular visits to their dentist or dental hygienist and to raise awareness and understanding of the importance of oral health to us as individuals and as a society.

Our coalition includes dentists, you, our family physicians, health foundations, business groups and many more.

How can you help?

If you are an employer, encourage your employees to see their dentist or dental hygienist regularly. If you are a medical institution, educate your health professionals the connection between oral and overall health.

And if you want to partner with us in our efforts or if you need more education on this topic, please let us know.

For more information, visit www.deltadentalco.com/wellness.