Plackers joins OHA campaign to promote oral health awareness

Plackers, a leading brand of consumer oral care products, has partnered with Oral Health America, the nation's leading independent organization dedicated to eliminating oral disease through access, education and advocacy, on the Fall for Smiles program to promote oral health awareness nationwide.

Fall for Smiles kicked off on September 1st with the release of the Fall for Smiles public opinion survey, which was commissioned by Oral Health America and sponsored by Plackers and Oral Healthcare Can't Wait. Highlights of the survey indicate that parents are looking to schools to help reinforce the importance of oral health and teach children about taking care of their teeth. Approximately 90 percent of parents responded that taking children to the dentist on a regular basis is extremely or very important and a majority of parents said that dental appointments are important for getting children ready to go back to school. Nearly eight in ten parents (78 percent) responded that children should floss their teeth at least once per day. However, children reported flossing less than their parents thought they should: just 30 percent of children said they floss their teeth once a day or more.

Fall for Smiles is Oral Health America's (OHA) annual awareness-building campaign that encourages families to talk about oral health and include regular brushing and flossing in their back-to-school routines. Fall for Smiles promotes messages about the importance of self care, good nutrition, regular dental visits, healthy food choices and tobacco avoidance as part of maintaining a healthy mouth and body.

"Plackers is proud to support Oral Health America and the Fall for Smiles program," said Tom Barman, Director of Marketing for Plackers. "Plackers is dedicated to increasing awareness about the importance of oral health for people of all ages, as well as in developing healthy habits at an early age through regular brushing, flossing and dental care routines."

Plackers will participate in the Calling Oral Health Communities to Action event co-hosted by Oral Health America and Dental Trade Alliance at the Rayburn Office Building in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, September 29th at 5 p.m. The event honors the 10th Anniversary of the Surgeon General's Report on Oral Health in America, which has contributed to increased policy attention to oral health, and oral health promotion and oral disease prevention for the American public.

Plackers also donated dental flossers to reach more than 30,000 children in need through Smiles Across America, a program created by Oral Health America to improve the oral health of elementary school students by supporting oral disease prevention services in school-based or school-linked settings. To learn more about Smiles Across America, visit http://oralhealthamerica.org/programs/smiles-across-america.

"Plackers' product and monetary donations allow Oral Health America to support essential community programs that help uninsured and underserved children have access to oral disease prevention services, oral health products and education," said Beth Truett, Oral Health America's President and CEO. "One of Oral Health America's key messages is how important it is to brush and floss daily for oral and systemic health. Plackers' donation not only helps communities and the school oral health programs that serve them but helps to ensure that these programs can be sustained for years to come."