An ongoing campaign by the Washington Dental Service Foundation, doctors, dentists, and others in Washington are helping to educate people about a simple truth: you’re not healthy unless your mouth is healthy.
What Is the Power of Oral Health?
The slogan for the Mighty Mouth campaign is “Unleash the Power of Oral Health,” but is oral health really all that powerful? Turns out it is. Oral health is intimately connected with systemic health. In their page Flossing: the New Yoga, the Mighty Mouth campaigners explain many of the links between oral health and general health. Poor oral health has been linked to increased complications from diabetes, and can contribute to systemic inflammation, which leads to heart disease and stroke. People with gum disease perform worse on memory and other cognitive tests. They also point out that good oral health helps you look younger. Receding gums and discolored teeth are signs of age that can be prevented. They encourage people to floss in the morning to start their day right.
A Multidimensional Campaign
The Mighty Mouth campaign is directed at encouraging a variety of healthy behaviors, such as:
- Flossing
- Brushing longer, not harder
- Regular dental checkups
- Avoiding grazing behavior
The website includes many features to link oral health and fitness in people’s minds, including many images of active people, a quiz about what’s your Olympic sport, and health-related slogans. In addition to the website, the campaign includes a number of short TV spots dedicated to helping people see the importance of oral health, which are also available on the website. Hopefully, people will get the message and put oral health on par with getting adequate exercise and maintaining a healthy weight, because these really are life-preserving health strategies. If you’re looking for a Spokane or Spokane Valley dentist to help maintain your oral health, please call (509) 532-1111 for an appointment at Collins Dentistry & Aesthetics.
