National Call to Action to Promote Oral Health
C. Austin Risbeck, RDH
Since the release of the National Call to Action to Promote Oral
Health, I designed a
Guide to help inspire and motivate dental hygienists across the
country to take action in promoting oral and total health. The
National Call to Action to Promote Oral Health highlights the major
findings contained in the Surgeon General's Report, Oral Health in
America. This
Guide consolidates the oral health objectives and related focus
areas in Healthy People 2010. These objectives show what each one
of us can do and where we can best focus our energies.
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Changing perceptions so that oral health becomes an accepted
component of total health needs to begin at the grassroots
level to increase oral health literacy and understanding of
what individuals can do to enhance oral health. Dental
hygienists are in a position to act in raising awareness and
understanding of oral health so people can make informed
decisions to contribute toward improving oral and total
health. Achieving and maintaining oral health requires
individual actions, complimented by professional care.
Dental hygienists are underutilized in promoting effective
total health and disease prevention measures.
Prevention, early detection, and management of diseases is
integral in health care. All of us need to prove to
the public and the medical community that we are prevention
specialists who understand that recognizing the connection
between oral health and total health can prevent disease.
The American Dental Hygienists' Association also states that
it is the primary role of the dental hygienist to improve
and maintain health, and promote overall health. We
are experts in preventive intervention using primary and
secondary prevention measures. Interdisciplinary care
is needed to manage the oral health-total health interface.
Dental hygienists must inform their clients about the
associations between oral infection and systemic conditions
and place emphasis on the importance of achieving and
maintaining periodontal health. Dental hygienists need
to provide counseling about how to identify and reduce risk
factors common to oral and total health, and refer high-risk
clients to other health specialists for further evaluation
of their risk.
The American Dental Association emphasizes the importance of
screening for traditional risk factors for cardiovascular
disease while taking a medical history. Tobacco
cessation, sound dietary choices along with increased
physical activity, and other lifestyle related efforts are
necessary to not only benefit oral health, but are ways to
integrate oral health promotion with the promotion of total
health and well-being.
Dental Hygienists Against Heart Disease is partnering with
the National Call to Action to Promote Oral Health,
which provides the actions necessary to achieve the
objectives in Healthy People 2010. I encourage all
dental hygienists to bring in their expertise and experience
to enrich this partnership to enhance the oral and total
health and well-being of all Americans. Dental
hygienists can improve quality of life, eliminate
disparities, and reduce the burden of disease in America
through education, behavior change, risk identification,
risk reduction, early diagnosis, and disease prevention.
C. Austin Risbeck, RDH
Dental Hygienists Against Heart Disease
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