Dental News - Healthy Mouth Movement offers free care to military veterans

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Healthy Mouth Movement offers free care to military veterans

The Healthy Mouth Movement is a community giving initiative launched by Aspen Dental Management and the dental practices it supports to deliver free dental care and oral health education to people in need across the United States. (Photo: Aspen Dental Management)
Dental Tribune USA

Dental Tribune USA

Tue. 14 April 2015

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SYRACUSE, N.Y., USA: Nearly two in five American adults (39 percent) say they have limited or will delay dental care due to their financial situation, a number that has increased by nearly eight percent in the past two years. And they’re making the decision despite knowing the long-term financial implications — 80 percent are aware that postponing or delaying routine visits will cost them more money in the long run.

A survey of more than 1,000 adults was conducted by ORC International and commissioned by Aspen Dental Management. Among the other key findings of the survey: More than half of survey respondents (53 percent) consider routine dental visits for exams and cleanings a “nice to have” that can be delayed; and nearly one in five respondents (17 percent) would fix problems with their car ahead of addressing pain in their mouth.

“For millions of Americans, life is made up of hard financial choices, and unfortunately, dental care has become discretionary, a ‘nice to have’ rather than a ‘must do,’” said Dr. Schatzie Vincent, director of clinical support and community giving at Aspen Dental Management. “The dentists and teams at Aspen Dental-branded practices believe that everyone deserves a healthy mouth, and are committed to breaking down barriers that have kept people from getting the dental care they need.”

Americans who delay dental care face serious long-term dental problems. More than 2 million visits are made to hospital emergency rooms each year for dental pain, where treatment is nearly 10 times more expensive than the cost of preventive care. Emergency room visits for dental care are on the rise, and cost nearly $1 billion a year. In addition to the financial implications, research shows that poor oral health can increase the risk for other serious health problems, including cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease.

The Healthy Mouth Movement

To bridge the oral healthcare gap and provide much-needed care to those in need, the dentists and staff at Aspen Dental-branded practices across the country are volunteering their time and talents once again in 2015 through the Healthy Mouth Movement.

The Healthy Mouth Movement is a community giving initiative launched by Aspen Dental Management and the dental practices it supports to deliver free dental care and oral health education to people in need across the United States. In its inaugural year, the Healthy Mouth Movement served close to 3,000 patients by nearly 2,000 team members from Aspen Dental-branded practices, who delivered more than $1 million in free dental care, through free days of service in hundreds of practices and via the Aspen Dental MouthMobile, a fully equipped dental office on wheels.

This year, the Healthy Mouth Movement will focus efforts on serving those who have served our nation — veterans — to empower them by helping address their oral health issues. The Aspen Dental MouthMobile will travel to communities throughout the U.S. in partnership with local veterans’ organizations, and participating Aspen Dental-branded practices will open for one day for free care for veterans later this year.

The Healthy Mouth Movement’s MouthMobile unit recently made its first of 28 stops, in Phoenix, Ariz.

As part of this commitment, Aspen Dental Management is partnering with Got Your 6, a campaign that helps strengthen communities and empower veterans nationwide. Got Your 6 — meaning “I got your back” — focuses on six key pillars of veteran reintegration, including leadership, health and education.

“Got Your 6 believes that our veterans have the unique opportunity to strengthen and reinvigorate their communities. Aspen Dental’s support helps our veterans to successfully reintegrate and ensures that they are seen as the civic assets that they are,” said Chris Marvin, managing director of Got Your 6. “We are excited to partner with the Healthy Mouth Movement as we work to empower veterans and support them as leaders in our communities.”

(Source: Aspen Dental Management)

 

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