
Oral Healthcare: Our Teeth Should Last a Lifetime
Dr. Tuckson speaks with dentist Dr. Leigh Wilson-Graf, DMD.
Dr. Tuckson speaks with dentist Dr. Leigh Wilson-Graf, DMD.
Dr. Tuckson speaks with J. Jude Thompson, president and CEO of Delta Dental of Kentucky, about the insurance company’s mission to improve oral health in the commonwealth and about some recent innovations in improving dental care. | Watch now or read a program recap.
This week, European scientists issued a report in the journal Nature Communications on the development of a chewing gum that detects oral infections. The tech could prove particularly useful for diseases that present with minimal to no symptoms. From PBS NewsHour’s The Rundown blog.
Since opening in 2011, the Open Arms Children’s Health dental clinic at Louisville’s Home of the Innocents has become an important part of the organization’s mission and has filled in several gaps in Louisville’s oral health care safety net for children from at-risk groups. KET recently visited the Open Arms Children’s Health dental clinic as part of the ongoing Inside Oral Health Care initiative, funded in part by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.
Dr. Mandy Ashley, DMD, was interviewed by KET about her practice, Sky Pediatric Dentistry, in Bowling Green. Dr. Ashley talks about her commitment to pediatric dental care and public service, and also some of the challenges in improving the oral health of Kentuckians. Part of KET’s Inside Oral Health Care initiative, funded in part by Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.
As part of our ongoing Inside Oral Health Care initiative, funded in part by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, KET’s production team interviewed several prominent dentists about the state of oral health in the commonwealth. Here is some of their advice for maintaining overall periodontal health and avoiding gum disease.
Kentucky’s chapter of the Dental Lifeline Network began its program in 2015, providing volunteer services to 14 patients during its first year and donating more than $60,000 in free care. Thirty-nine dentists and 24 dental laboratories participated in the state program, which is one of 44 nationwide that generated over $24.5 million in free dental care in the last fiscal year.
As part of KET’s ongoing Inside Oral Health Initiative, our production team talked with several Kentucky dentists about the prevalence of high sugar consumption in the state and how it contributes to tooth decay. Here are some of their tips for minimizing the effects of sugar and acid on the teeth.
The Red Bird Mission is located in a remote corner of three Kentucky counties in Appalachia: Clay, Bell, and Leslie. It began as a settlement school in 1921, and gradually added outreach services such as medical and dental care. About 3,000 people visit the mission’s dental clinic each year.
The Drink Pyramid, a creative and fun educational graphic created by Dr. Daria “Nikki” Stone, has helped to reduce tooth decay among some of the most vulnerable children in eastern Kentucky over the past decade, and is gaining widespread exposure as an effective tool for oral health preventive services. This article is part of KET’s initiative Inside Oral Health, funded in part by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.