Lunch Box oral health education program expands to kids with vision impairment

You may know that our mission is to improve the oral health of all, and starting with young children and health literacy is a great step forward.

Before this school year started, we supported efforts by The Children's Oral Health Institute to grow their national Lessons In A Lunch Box: Healthy Teeth Essentials & Facts About Snacks® program. This expansion enables the program to reach children who have impaired or loss of vision. Everyone needs to care for their mouths in order to have healthy futures, and Lunch Box is ensuring all kids have this chance.

In February, special lunchboxes - now with braille - will be delivered to participating schools along with a volunteer presentation to run the program.

So what is this educational program about healthy teeth and why does it matter? 

The Children's Oral Health Institute, a nonprofit based in Maryland, outlines it clearly:

• Lessons In A Lunch Box: Healthy Teeth Essentials & Facts About Snacks is an educational oral health literacy program developed around a lunch box designed exclusively to teach elementary school children. The lunch box includes a color coordinated carrot case with a rinse cup top designed to store a toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss.
• The program is created to help children to begin learning early, throughout grade school, about taking care of their teeth, making good diet choices and careers in dentistry.
• The Children’s Oral Health Institute believes the program and the exclusive lesson guides, including the Code Red: The Oral Health Crisis In Your Classroom booklet, will encourage teachers to incorporate oral health education as a part of classroom instruction.
• The program model is presented is to elementary schools with support from organized dentistry, local dental school faculty, their students and community volunteers. It is important that dentist examine and provide treatment for underserved children.
• Exposing dental students to programs like Lessons In A Lunch Box may help to improve the access to the oral health care challenges we face throughout the country.
• Further, the profession of dental medicine is facing a workforce shortage. According to the 2000 Surgeon General’s Report, by 2020 there will be one dentist for every 100,000 Americans. The program places emphasis on encouraging children to begin considering the dental profession as a career option. 
• The ideal times during the school year to introduce the Lessons In A Lunch Box program are:
• October, National Dental Hygiene Month. This is a good time of the school year to present the program because it allows the teacher approximately 8 school months to refer to the visual and practical lessons offered by lunch box.
• February, National Children’s Dental Health Month (NCDHM). This is another great time because much of the dental community looks forward to participating in initiatives that highlight and support the annual observance of NCDHM when dental and medical professionals focus on efforts to improve the oral health of children.
• Give Kids A Smile® (GKAS) Day. Usually celebrated throughout the country in late January or early February, GKAS is the annual centerpiece NCDHM.
• The cafeteria has proven to be the best location in the school to present the program. Students can comfortably have their lunch box open in front of them while listening to the presenter explain all of the fun and exciting educational features of the delightful container. They learn about the following:
• flossing, brushing and fluoride
• healthy dietary choices and good eating habits
• careers in dentistry

Did you learn anything new here? By partnering and supporting this expansion, we learned a lot about the vision impaired community and successful ways to help all children develop important oral health habits.

Do you know if you have sleep apnea? An eye exam may tell you

Sleep apnea is a lot more common than you might think, and it is affecting your eyes and vision in drastic ways. August happens to be National Eye Exam Month and this is as good of a reason as any to go get checked out.

There are three types of sleep apnea, but most people suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), which makes up 84 percent of sleep apnea cases.

To find out why that matters, let’s layout a quick biology overview:

Our bodies need oxygen – we inhale it, our lungs hold it, our blood picks it up from the lungs and takes it to all of our cells and tissues. Every organ needs it. The brain, for instance, uses 25 percent of your oxygen intake. Without enough, your brain function declines.

OSA occurs when the soft tissue of the throat collapses and blocks the airway. It happens continually throughout the sleep cycle.

The blocked airway means you aren’t inhaling enough oxygen for your blood to carry throughout your body (decreased blood oxygen). The pause in breathing—called an apnea—can last anywhere from seconds to minutes. The brain then signals the body to wake up and breathe.

OSA is most common in overweight or obese men. It occurs in approximately 24 percent of men and 9 percent of women. African Americans also have a 2.5 times higher risk.

• Other factors that may predispose us to this condition include:
• Age – over 40
• Smoking
• Neck circumference over 19 inches (Trivia: OSA occurs in 34 percent of NFL linemen!)
• Some of the most common signs and symptoms include:
• Snoring – although not everyone who snores has sleep apnea
• Daytime sleepiness – do you nod off at work; maybe it isn’t that you are just bored?
• Cognition problems – losing your train of thought sporadically
• Restless sleep – do you toss and turn a lot?
• Loved ones mention you seem to stop breathing in your sleep

Despite its relatively high rate of occurrence, OSA goes undiagnosed in 80 percent of the men and 90 percent of the women who suffer from the condition. High rates of undiagnosed patients may be due to the fact that the best test—a sleep study—is both inconvenient and can be expensive for patients.

Sleep Apnea and the eye

An association of OSA and eye and vision problems is very common and often missed during any type of eye exam or physician visit. At your next eye exam, consider if you have any of these symptoms and share them with your provider. You may help them catch something they otherwise might miss!

There are three common eye-related OSA side effects to watch for:

• Floppy eyelid syndrome – this is the most common and the easiest to miss during your eye exam. The person often wakes with scratchy or irritated eye(s) and some mucus discharge (some people refer to it as crusty eyes) that comes and goes over a long period of time. Close to 100 percent of people with floppy eyelid syndrome have some form of OSA.
• Keratoconus – the person experiences irregular astigmatism and chronic blurred vision that glasses only partially correct.
• Glaucoma – everyone should be tested for glaucoma. Its association to OSA is often missed. If a provider suspects someone has glaucoma, and also has any risk factors for OSA, they should consider further screening.

OSA is not harmless – get checked.

OSA is not a benign condition; as such, be aware of this condition especially if you have any of the common risk factors. This condition is a lot more common than you think and will take its toll if not treated. Since OSA so often goes unrecognized and misdiagnosed, mention any of the common signs and symptoms to your eye doctor and your family doctor. 

Special thanks to EyeQuest Vision Director Dr. John Davis for contributing this post!

Healthy Vision Month reminds us to make our eyes a priority

May is Healthy Vision Month. With that in mind, we at eyeQuest encourage everyone to make eye health a priority and take steps to protect vision for a lifetime.

Vision might change as we get older, but vision loss is not a normal part of aging. Common eye diseases such as glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and age-related macular degeneration threaten millions of Americans, potentially robbing them of vision, mobility, and independence.

New technologies are making a difference, but early diagnosis, timely treatment, and appropriate follow-up care are essential to preventing irreversible vision loss.

Early stages of common eye diseases typically have no symptoms and can only be detected through a comprehensive dilated eye exam. If you are over 40, a dilated eye exam is recommended yearly, especially if you are at higher risk for eye disease.

As an example, Glaucoma, which causes “silent” damage to the optic nerve, is more common in people with certain risk factors such as African-Americans ages 40 and older; everyone ages 60 and older, especially Latin Americans; and people with a family history of the disease.

The number one cause of permanent loss of vision in people under age 60 is diabetic retinopathy. Also for people over 60, the risk for age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) rises significantly.
 
All of these conditions progress without any symptoms at all. The good news is that with early detection through regular eye exams, they are all manageable.  Vision loss is mostly preventable if treatment is started before the damage is done.

Recent clinical trials sponsored by the National Eye Institute have shown great progress in the prevention of AMRD-related vision loss. The latest study results (known as AREDS) determined that people at high risk of developing AMRD could lower their risk by about 25 percent by taking vitamins with certain antioxidants and minerals –  another reason to eat your spinach and other green leafy vegetables.

So, do your older self a favor and think about how important your vision is during healthy vision month. If it has been more than a year since your last eye exam, schedule an appointment and then ask your eye doctor about any of your risk factors. Awareness and regular eye care can make a difference. Much like regular dental care!  

Make healthy vision last a lifetime. During Healthy Vision Month, encourage friends and family to make eye health a priority. For more information about keeping eyes healthy, visit https://www.nei.nih.gov/hvm/ and download a healthy vision month toolkit.

Guest post from eyeQuest Vision Director Vidya Baliga

Proud to Reflect on DentaQuest Giving Back, Remain Committed for 2017

The start of a new year is an opportunity to reflect and consider how we fit into the community at large. Through our corporate giving program and the volunteered talents of our staff, we are investing in our neighborhoods, supporting our stakeholders, and creating leadership opportunities for our employees. Here are highlights from 2016 that will help us have even greater impact for 2017:

Community is the Foundation of What We Do

We awarded Corporate Giving funds to safety net dental programs and community organizations that help thousands of at-risk children, families, people with disabilities, and seniors. We were also involved with organizations working to feed the hungry, prepare the next generation workforce, end health disparities and inequity, and help neighbors who are struggling to get through each day.

In 2016, DentaQuest’s Giving Program touched 165 organizations in 26 states. And that is in addition to the millions of dollars in investments made by our DentaQuest Foundation and our DentaQuest Institute to community change makers who are working for better policies, financing, and care with a goal of improving the oral health of all. All this matters because oral health really is fundamental to living a healthy life and important to academic and economic success.

Missions of Mercy Dental Clinics

While our 24 million members have access to quality dental care, there are millions more who are uninsured or underinsured and fall through the cracks at the worst of times. Many of them depend on the arrival of the Mission of Mercy, a multi-day free clinic staffed by volunteers, for essential dental care services. Working with local dental societies and our local staff volunteers, DentaQuest supported 21 free care clinics in 18 states.

Consider that, on average, each Mission of Mercy clinic serves 1,500 to 2,000 patients; the dental clinics that we supported provided over $15,000,000 in services and helped nearly 30,000 individuals who have great needs and few other options.

Stand Together in Times of Crisis

Our employee-directed Corporate Giving Committee directed financial support to communities that suffered in 2016: areas recovering from Hurricane Matthew in Florida and South Carolina, the once-in-a-century floods in Louisiana, flooded areas of rural West Virginia, the destructive wildfires (and tornado) in Tennessee. Support was also sent to Orlando after it suffered a violent shooting and to a help those in need after a five-alarm fire in Cambridge, Mass.

Throughout the year, we provided toothbrushes to schools, after school programs, and community health fairs serving at-risk children in high need neighborhoods. And through our matched giving program, our employees made additional contributions to charities close to their hearts.

Sweat Equity 

For us, giving is a combination of equity and sweat. Our employees look forward to attending local events that support the community and are willing volunteers at health fairs, walks for a cause, and dental care clinics.

During our annual Mission Month (mid-September to mid-October), we roll up our sleeves and leave the office to conquer high-impact projects tailored to the need of the community. This year, it was to feed families at Ronald McDonald Houses, paint and update schools and community centers, remove invasive plants from local rivers, and reclaim and replant city gardens.

We participated in 35 events in 11 states. A remarkable 67 percent of our employees participated in a Mission Month project, contributing over 3,612 volunteer hours, valued at $93,912.

Some go even further. Our Living the Mission Awards honor employees who go above and beyond for their sustained volunteer contributions to a charitable organization outside of Mission Month or company-sponsored events. Congrats again to those awardees!

What's Next?

Looking back on what we’ve accomplished in 2016, it is with pride that we can say we live our mission every day.  We truly are the dental company with vision, and heart. Looking forward, we will aim higher, find ways to give more of ourselves to those around us, and ultimately stay true to our mission - improving the oral health of all.

Oral Health, Meet Eye Health

During Healthy Vision Month each May, the National Eye Institute encourages Americans to make their eye health a priority and informs them about steps they can take to protect their vision. But why are we talking about eye health on an oral health blog? 

Oral health is a critical piece to the oral health puzzle, but so is vision. Just as the mouth can be the first place to spot signs of chronic disease, so can the eyes. 

An eye exam, for example, can uncover broken or leaking blood vessels in the retina, which are an indicator of diabetes. Specifically, the capillaries that deliver blood to the retina can be broken down by a buildup of sugar in the bloodstream, and elevated blood sugar is a warning sign for diabetes that a vision provider would spot perhaps before anything else triggers a diabetes test from a primary care provider. 

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Some even suggest that identifying chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension at the eye doctor or dentist is more cost effective and can mean better outcomes for people who otherwise might not be diagnosed until a chronic disease has progressed or other complications develop.
Moreover, a healthy set of eyeballs means productivity and independence are within reach for much longer.

So what does the National Eye Institute encourage for healthy vision?

• Get a comprehensive dilated eye exam.
• Live a healthy lifestyle, including eating healthy foods, maintaining a healthy weight, managing chronic conditions, and not smoking.
• Know your family history.
• Use protective eye wear.
• Wear sunglasses.

Taking these steps can help prevent vision loss or blindness, which can result from many diseases and conditions. In addition, comprehensive dilated eye exams can detect problems early, when they’re easier to treat.

DentaQuest believes in eye care as much as oral health because you cannot have improved overall health without healthy eyes and mouths. This is in part why we created eyeQuest back in 2009.

At the start of 2009, we began administering a Medicaid vision program for 40,000 people in Nevada with Amerigroup coverage. As of April 1, 2016, we now administer vision programs across 9 states for 1.6 million people!

Still need convincing that vision is important to care for the same way you care for the rest of your body? Commemorate Healthy Vision Month by pondering and sharing these fun facts:

• 80 percent of what we learn is through our eyes.
• Eyes are the second most complex organ after the brain.
• An eye is composed of more than 2 million working parts.