Oral Health Education at Your Fingertips

HARRISBURG, Pa., Aug. 28, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- It started with the World Wide Web, and has since grown with the addition of smartphones and tablets. The expanding world of technology has provided us with immediate access to an abundance of useful and educational resources. With this instant access, your oral health can greatly benefit.

The Pennsylvania Dental Association (PDA) encourages the public to explore the many available resources, specifically in the form of websites and mobile apps, that succeed in providing you with user friendly tools designed to help you improve, maintain and access dental care.

"It has never been easier to find information about your dental health and how to improve the health of your teeth and mouth," says PDA member Dr. Tamara Brady. "There is information available to suit all audiences, from infants, to school age and adolescent children, teenagers, young and older adults through their golden age. Using a tablet or smart phone makes this information even easier to access."

Websites:

• Pennsylvania Dental Association - www.padental.org: A one-stop shop for all oral health topics, our site features an expansive patient resource center. Access the online Dental Clinic Directory for clinics in your area that offer free or reduced cost services. Use the Virtual Dental Van to find out about insurance programs and how to improve your oral health.
• American Dental Association - www.ada.org: National organization representing dentists and the leading source of oral health information for dentists and patients.
• Mouth Healthy and Mouth Healthy Kids - www.mouthhealthy.org and www.mouthhealthykids.org: Provides online resources to adults and children, as well as tips for avoiding dental problems.
• I Like My Teeth - www.ilikemyteeth.org: The Campaign for Dental Health provides information on fluoridation and other prevention tools.
• Dental Care Everyday - www.nidcr.nih.gov/oralhealth: Provides resources for caregivers on best oral health care practices for the developmentally disabled.
• National Maternal & Child Oral Health Resources - www.mchoralhealth.org: Resource for expecting moms about the importance of oral health care during pregnancy and for their children.
• Seniors Oral Health - www.seniorsoralhealth.org: Seniors will find a wealth of information about maintaining oral health as they age.
• Oral Health America - www.oralhealthamerica.org: Provides information on access to care, oral health education and how to advocate for oral health issues.

Mobile Device and Tablet Apps:

• Dental Phobia - by Codore: By listening to this hypnotic app you will learn how to relax in your body and mind before and during your visits. (Free)
• iDentist - by iDentist, LLC: This app contains a dental glossary, diagram and symptom checker. (Free)
• Pediatric Dental Expert by Cosmetic Innovations, Inc.: A parent's guide to understanding all aspects of your child's dental care. (Free)
• iBracesHelp - by The Dental Specialists: The application is full of useful information, pictures and videos on caring for your braces and what to do if you have problems with your braces. (Free)
• ADA Dental Symptom Checker - by American Dental Association: Understand symptoms you may be experiencing and relate them to possible conditions. Also featured is a tool to locate an ADA member dentist near you. (Free)
• My Little Dentist - by Muhammad Salman: This game allows children to treat bad teeth in a fun way. Pick your toolkit and start treating your patients with different oral problems. (Free)
• Toothsavers Brushing Game - by Partnership for Healthy Mouths, Healthy Lives: A game to help make brushing fun for kids and encourage them to brush their teeth for two minutes, twice a day. (Free)
• Disney Magic Timer - by Disney: This app features sixteen of your child's favorite Disney and Marvel characters, encouraging them to brush for two minutes everyday. (Free)
• Brush DJ - Benjamin Underwood: An app for all ages, it plays two minutes of music, taken at random or from a playlist, from your device's music library and has a visual display showing where to brush. It also includes a tool to set reminders for your healthy dental habits. (Free)

About the Pennsylvania Dental Association
Founded in 1868, the Pennsylvania Dental Association (PDA) is comprised of approximately 6,000 member dentists. It is a constituency of the American Dental Association (ADA), the largest and oldest national dental society in the world. PDA's mission is to improve the public health, promote the art and science of dentistry and represent the interests of its member dentists and their patients. PDA is the voice of dentistry in Pennsylvania. For more information on PDA, visit our website at www.padental.org.

SOURCE Pennsylvania Dental Association