Oral Healthcare Can’t Wait Gaining Momentum
By Gary W. Price, CEO, of Dental Trade Alliance
In my previous column, I discussed the need to be proactive and promote oral healthcare. The campaign is called Oral Healthcare Can’t Wait. After launching Oral Healthcare Can’t Wait this summer, the dental industry gathered in Washington D.C., for the DTA Annual Meeting. The meeting brought together many of the dental industry leaders for three days of educational programs and discussion about the current state of our industry. One of the lynchpins of the Annual Meeting Program was a presentation and update on our Oral Healthcare Can’t Wait campaign.
It was not a surprise to see how well this campaign was received. Many industry professionals stepped up to ask how they can get involved and support Oral Healthcare Can’t Wait. The consensus from manufacturers, distributors, laboratories, publications and associations was that this is an important campaign, benefiting everyone in our industry as well as contributing to the overall health of our customers and their patients.
The campaign has gone viral. The Oralhealthcarecantwait.com Web site has received thousands of hits. More than 500 practitioners and dental professionals have downloaded materials from the site to actively promote oral healthcare in their communities. In mid-August, DTA placed two full page advertisements in the USA Today newspaper, displaying new promotions from the campaign. Newspapers were delivered to lawmakers on Capitol Hill and the White House. A sticker on the cover of the newspaper alerted readers to the message inside. USA Today and the Wall Street Journal wrote stories around access to oral healthcare.
Still to come is phase two of the campaign - directly targeting consumers and patients. This will follow on the heels of educating as many healthcare practitioners as we can reach through our Web site, social networks like Facebook and Youtube and direct contact with dentists. DTA (with a generous donation from the ADA) has taken an exhibit booth at the ADA Annual Session in Honolulu. DTA staff and volunteers will greet dentists, hygienists and other oral care professionals - explaining the benefits of the Oral Healthcare Can’t Wait campaign.
Distributors are on board, but we are asking every company to get involved. If your company is not a DTA Member (and we hope they will consider joining DTA) - you can still download materials from the Web site or contact DTA. We will be happy to provide promotional materials for your company’s Web site, your publications or even printable handouts to deliver to dentists you work with. Contact DTA at (703) 379-7755 or e-mail info@dentaltradealliance.org.
This campaign is designed to help everyone. Join DTA in this important program to support our industry and increase quality healthcare in the United States.
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