Category: Blog

Assistant Surgeon General of the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps William D. Bailey, DDS, MPH, has been appointed by the CU School of Dental Medicine as the endowed chair in Prevention of Early Childhood Caries. His appointment is effective August 1, 2014 following his retirement from the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps in spring 2014. Funded by Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation, the endowed chair in Prevention of Early Childhood Caries aims to further Delta Dental’s and the School of Dental Medicine’s mutual goal of eradicating childhood tooth decay.

Tooth decay is five times more common than asthma and can lead to painful cavities, missed schools days and many other problems affecting a child’s development and self-esteem. With Halloween and a season of sweet treats upon us, it’s important for parents to know how they can help protect their kids’ teeth from decay. Dental Dental of Colorado Dental Director Dr. Michael Okuji gave tips for managing sweets in a segment on 9News.

Since the 1970s, CHC has honored professionals in public relations, communications and marketing through the annual Gold Leaf Awards competition. CHC is the only Colorado member organization that exclusively honors local health-care communicators and marketing professionals. Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation is proud to receive the following awards:

• GOLD LEAF AWARD Advertising: Multimedia Campaign for Brush with Me Campaign Advertising: Broadcast for Brush with Me Campaign
• BRONZE LEAF AWARD Printed Annual Report: Fifteen Years of Changing Communities, Improving Lives Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation 2011 Annual Report

Mirella Chavez, Community Benefits Coordinator by day and Tooth Fairy by night, was interviewed on Despierta Colorado. She discussed the importance of brushing your teeth together, her busy schedule attending Delta Dental events, and the Brush With Me campaign. Pearl E White, the biggest tooth she’s ever collected, also garnered some screen time. The segment aired on Despierta Colorado on September 26, October 1 and October 9.

Wyatt Hornsby, Campaign Director at Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation, interviewed with Kathie J from the radio station KS107.5 to support the Brush With Me campaign. They talked about the link between dental health and academic success, and how back-to-school time offers the perfect opportunity to set a new family routine of brushing together. Wyatt also highlighted that oral surgery is the number one reason children are brought to the OR at Children’s Hospital Colorado.

Dr. Patty Braun, a pediatrician at Denver Health’s Eastside Family Health Center, discussed the importance of dental health at a young age and the Brush With Me campaign on Fox 31’s Good Day Colorado. She covered how cavities form, what parents can do to keep their kids cavity free and how to make brushing together fun for kids. Patty also emphasized the importance of oral health to overall health and why as a pediatrician she is passionate about this issue.

Barbara Springer, Executive Director of Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation, was interviewed by Radio Disney on the Brush With Me campaign. She was joined in studio by Dr. Patty Braun, a pediatrician at Denver Health’s Eastside Family Health Center, to discuss the importance of dental health as a community issue.

Barbara Springer, Executive Director of Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation, appeared on Colorado and Company on KUSA 9News to promote the Brush With Me campaign. During the broadcast, she spoke to why the Foundation has launched this campaign, shared dental health home care solutions for parents, and tips for getting parents to brush with their kids every day. Barbara was joined by our Brush with Me giant tooth, Pearl E. White, and a community partner Sarah Brenkert, Director of Education at The Children’s Museum of Denver, who shared the ways in which the museum plans to reach Colorado families through their upcoming dental health programming starting in July.

Spanish-language morning show Despierta Colorado hosted Cecelia Edwards, Dental Director at Salud Family Health Center in Fort Lupton. She covered the importance of brushing together and only putting water in sippy cups between meals and at bedtime. Cecelia is a Brush With Me Campaign Advisor and speaks on behalf of the Foundation to help increase awareness.

The Tooth Fairy is the face of any and all tooth-related magic for gap-toothed kids. We don’t doubt that this bicuspid scavenger can wave a mean wand (hey, we have to maintain the tale for future generations), but a Colorado nonprofit is working some even fiercer magic. Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation’s Brush With Me campaign, which launched in April, aims to educate families about the importance of taking care of kids’ teeth. The goal: drastically reducing child tooth decay. There’s endless chatter around childhood obesity, but dental disease remains a silent menace that effects nearly 600,000 children before they start kindergarten and 53 percent of low-income kindergarteners. Tooth decay is the most chronic childhood disease—it’s four times more common than early childhood obesity—despite being almost entirely preventable.