Colorado’s Oral Health Winnable Battle

1. Colorado’s Oral HealthWinnable Battle Christopher E. Urbina, MD, MPH Executive Director and Chief Medical Officer Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

2. Colorado’s Winnable Battles were • chosen because: • They are important – large health impact • We have an ability to impact these areas • There is capacity to impact these areas

3. Colorado’s 10 Winnable Battles • Clean Air • Clean Water • Infectious Disease Prevention • Injury Prevention • Mental Health & Substance Abuse • Obesity • Oral Health • Safe Food • Tobacco • Unintended Pregnancy

4. Oral Health Winnable Battle Collaborative • Tri-agency support • Five dozen partners • Monthly meetings • Shared initiatives • Shared messaging • Shared resources • Focused efforts

5. Why Oral Health Matters Preventable diseases Inequitable burden Sustainable change

6. Consequences

7. Military Readiness • 1940: 1 out of 10 army recruits didn't have enough teeth to enlist.(Number of teeth needed to enlist: 6) • 2002: 34% of military personnel on active duty require dental care prior to deployment

8. Measuring our successes: • Increase age one dental visits. • Increase sealants on permanent teeth. • Improve rates of community water fluoridation.

9. Rampant Decay

11. Children’s Oral Disease – a Public Health Crisis • Most common chronic disease of childhood • US Surgeon General: oral health is a core component of overall health • Need to reduce oral health inequities

12. Metal Mouth

13. Simply by drinking fluoridated water, everyone in the community benefits. No change in behavior is required by the individual Everyone – regardless of age, gender, culture, socio-economic status – can benefit Fluoridation The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) named community water fluoridation as one of the 10 great health achievements of the 20th Century.

16. Colorado’s Future

17. Thank you!