Social media, Smiles for Life

Oct. 19, 2012

FOCUS Editorial Director Maria Perno Goldie, RDH, MS, notes the importance of social media in our society today and talks about the purpose of the Smiles for Life national oral health curriculum. She also references articles in this issue dealing with laser use by dental hygienists, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a potential new treatment for periodontal disease, and the effectiveness of graphic anti-smoking advertising.

Mediabistro, an internet marketing firm Dream Systems Media, took data provided by AdAge and converted the numbers into an infographic. In this infographic are some interesting stats revealed, such as that that out of 6 billion people on our planet, 4.8 billion have a mobile phone while only 4.2 billion own a toothbrush.(1) This proves that communication and social media are very important for us to stay connected! I urge you to visit the RDH eVillage Facebook page and communicate with us!(2)

As you may know, the American Dental Association (ADA) Annual Session is near my home in San Francisco this week. By the time you read this, the meeting will be in full swing! The ADA has endorsed “Smiles for Life,” the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine’s national online oral health curriculum.(3) Funded by the National Interprofessional Initiative on Oral Health, the Smiles for Life curriculum was first released in 2005 and is now available in an interactive online 3rd edition. Smiles for Life is the nation’s most comprehensive and widely used oral health curriculum specifically designed by and for primary medical care clinicians. The endorsement came at the Interprofessional Initiative’s “2012 Symposium on Oral Health and Primary Care,” held October 7-9 in Leesburg, Va., and marks great progress toward ensuring all people at risk of dental disease get the benefit of preventive services that experts know can work.

The Interprofessional Initiative’s goal is to improve access to oral health care and prevention for children, adults and families who are at high risk. It brings together diverse stakeholders in the field of primary care clinician education and practice to create oral health solutions. The Interprofessional Initiative is funded by the DentaQuest Foundation, The Washington Dental Service Foundation and the Connecticut Health Foundation. There is a wealth of information to download.(4)