It is hard to believe we’re in the 3rd year of our successful Empower Program. As a refresher for those of you that aren’t familiar with Empower, it’s a program that focuses on increasing healthy eating and active living, along with helping to provide smoke-free environments, in licensed child care facilities… reaching over 200,000 children [...]
Every so often- you run into a resource guide that stands above the rest. I discovered one of those a couple of weeks ago when I was at a conference with the people in my job from around the country. It’s called the Guide to Community Preventive Services – and it’s a free resource to [...]
Our Bureau of Women's and Children's Health team released the Arizona Women's Health Status Report recently. The report details how Arizona women are doing toward achieving optimal health and wellness. Topics covered in the report include physical activity, oral health, mental health, access to care and general wellness. The good news is that 83% of [...]
Most folks know that good oral health is needed to prevent oral diseases- which can be progressive, cumulative, and more complex over time. If left untreated, tooth decay leads to needless pain and suffering; difficulty in speaking, chewing, and swallowing; missed school days; increased cost of care. There’s also good evidence that poor oral hygiene and [...]
I had the delightful experience of meeting with our former Director, Jack Dillenberg, at our AZ Developmental Disabilities Planning Council meeting last month. Our Council meeting was out at AT Still University’s AZ School of Dentistry & Oral Health. It was great seeing Jack again- he hasn't changed a bit- he's just as enthusiastic and animated as ever. Most of [...]
When I was a kid growing up in Tucson- it seemed like we lived at the dentist- and getting cavities filled was routine. It’s way better these days because of a host of public health and dental product interventions… but 75% of Arizona kids still have tooth decay by the time they’re in 3rd grade. Around 1900 [...]
We’re proud to join in the celebration of National Health Center Week by highlighting Health Centers throughout our State and the vital services they provide. Community Health Centers are community-based, patient directed organizations that provide services to medically underserved areas. These valuable safety net providers offer full-time comprehensive primary and preventative care to patients regardless of their [...]
The Pew Children’s Dental Campaign released the State of Children’s Dental Health Report that grades each state’s policy responses to the crisis in dental health among America’s children. Arizona raised its grade to a “B” for 2011. We made improvements in the share of high-risk schools that participate in the school-based sealant program. This can [...]
This month the EPA and HHS proposed a change that would lower the recommended level of fluoride in drinking water. A small amount of fluoride is good in drinking water because it prevents tooth decay. The idea is to maximize the health benefits of water fluoridation by continuing to prevent tooth decay while reducing the possibility of too much fluoride exposure for [...]
