Oral Health

The health education topic for January was oral health.  Sarah, a PHC member who is heading off to dental school in the fall, put together a great presentation and we all learned a great deal.  Here were my big take aways:

• Green tea is good for your teeth and will help to lower periodontal disease
• If you do not floss your teeth it is the equivalent of not brushing SEVEN of your teeth
• 40% of tooth surface is only reachable with floss
• When brushing you should move your toothbrush in small circles, not in a straight line
• 45% of children in the US have dental caries (cavities); it is the #1 chronic disease in children

There was a huge increase in the number of clients we had scheduling dental appointments at our site or asking how they could get hooked up with a dentist on their health plan.  This is EXACTLY what we were aiming for.