The AAOMS Collaborates with Ad Council Coalition to Improve Children's Oral Health

National Three-Year Campaign Comprised of More Than 20 Leading Dental Organizations

ROSEMONT, Ill., Aug. 4, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS), the professional association representing more than 9,000 oral and maxillofacial surgeons in the United States, is proud to partner with the Ad Council and distinguished members of the Partnership for Healthy Mouths, Healthy Lives coalition on this three year oral health literacy campaign.  Oral and maxillofacial surgeons are indispensable members of the emergency room trauma teams who surgically repair the face, mouth and jaws of children and adults injured in sporting activities, vehicular accidents and other traumatic occurrences. AAOMS, together with the American Association of Orthodontists and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, annually sponsors April is National Facial Protection Month to alert children, their parents and guardians and coaches to the importance of wearing mouthguards and other protective gear when engaging in sports activities.

The Ad Council, known for such iconic public service advertising campaigns as McGruff the Crime Dog's "Take A Bite Out Of Crime," will conduct a national campaign to improve children's oral health. The goal of the three-year campaign will be to raise awareness and educate parents and caregivers about the value of good oral health for their children and how it can be achieved.

The campaign is the brainchild of the Partnership for Healthy Mouths, Healthy Lives dental coalition, which is made up of more than 20 dental organizations led by the Dental Trade Alliance Foundation. The Ad Council accepted the coalition's proposal in June. The AAOMS is a member of the coalition whose members hope that the Ad Council's commitment to an extensive multi-year, national public service advertising campaign will help improve the oral health of America's children through oral health messages stressing prevention and the ways parents and caregivers can instill behaviors that will result in a lifetime of good oral health.  

The Partnership for Healthy Mouths, Healthy Lives dental coalition joins other notable organizations that have worked with the Ad Council to address social issues through public service campaigns. Some unforgettable slogans from the Ad Council's previous campaigns include the United Negro College Fund's "A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste," and the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's "You Could Learn A Lot From A Dummy" and "Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk."

The Partnership for Healthy Mouths, Healthy Lives dental coalition also includes the Academy of General Dentistry, American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, American Academy of Periodontology, American Association for Dental Research, American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, American Association of Orthodontists, American Association of Public Health Dentistry, American Association of Women Dentists, American College of Prosthodontists, American Dental Education Association, Association of State & Territorial Dental Directors, California Dental Association, Dental Trade Alliance, Hispanic Dental Association, Medicaid SCHIP Dental Association, National Dental Association, National Network for Oral Health Access, Oral Health America, Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention, Society of American Indian Dentists and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health. The campaign is slated to begin appearing in national media and on a customized Web site in 2012.

Saving Face | Changing Lives — The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS), the professional organization representing more than 9,000 oral and maxillofacial surgeons in the United States, supports its fellows' and members' ability to practice their specialty through education, research and advocacy. AAOMS fellows and members comply with rigorous continuing education requirements and submit to periodic office anesthesia evaluations.

SOURCE American Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons