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Home >> 2006: "Dental Ready = Mission Ready!" >> 2006 Article: Dental Health Awareness A Top Priority
 Dental Health Awareness A Top PriorityBy MG Patrick D. Sculley, DDS (U.S. Army, Retired) A novel approach by the Army National Guard (ARNG) to provide health promotion to its members is underway in the Decade of Health (DOH). The first year has focused on dental readiness with an oral health awareness outreach, “ARNG Dental Bytes.” An oral health promotion newsletter is available online, via email and print to ARNG Soldiers and families. It provides oral health promotion messages on a regular and recurring basis and fosters good oral health habits and regular professional dental care. It encourages ARNG Soldiers to take charge of their own dental health to improve their dental readiness. “Never before has our Nation called upon the ARNG to serve in the front lines of two major operations and simultaneously take the lead in Homeland Security. Healthy deployable Soldiers are the backbone of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom as well as for operations within the boundaries of our great Nation,” says Clyde A. Vaughn, Lieutenant General, GS, Director, Army National Guard. “Maintaining force strength and sustaining these critical operations rely heavily on the health and physical fitness of our Soldiers.” The Decade of Health campaign draws upon other ARNG health and wellness initiatives and includes a multi-faceted media and outreach approach. The Decade of Health is presented via print, web, direct mail and broadcast media. Federal, commercial, and not-for-profit marketing models and techniques fuel the program’s outreach. An easily accessible “.com” Web page (www.decadeofhealth.com) provides access for ARNG Soldiers and their families 24/7. A participation incentives program is being developed and is a critical element of the Decade of Health outreach. Colonel Craig Urbauer, ARNG Chief Surgeon, emphasizes that the goal of the Decade of Health is to target health-focus areas that will provide measurable outcomes and yield returns on investment by enhancing deployability, readiness, recruiting, and retention. The program goal is reflected in the campaign slogan: “Always Ready, Always There . . . Always Healthy.” 
Colonel Urbauer selected oral health awareness and dental readiness as the 2006 campaign focus. Numerous studies and years of use have made the dental readiness system an ideal model. It is clear that Soldiers in class 1 and class 2 dental status have many fewer dental disease non-battle injuries than Soldiers in class 3 status and are hence more ready to accomplish their mission.
In a January 8, 2004 memo from LTG H Steven Blum, Chief, National Guard Bureau to the Adjutants General, the accountabilities for dental health were clearly outlined. The memo states: “Dental readiness is a command responsibility. Fitness for duty, to include oral health, is a personal responsibility.” The ARNG Dental Bytes outreach was developed to help commanders and Soldiers accomplish these responsibilities. The many demands placed upon the ARNG require a preventive approach to oral health. In the ARNG Dental Bytes, prevention has been highlighted. The reasons for good oral health have been presented—improved combat effectiveness and improved quality of life. The tools of prevention—good oral hygiene, proper diet, regular professional care and avoidance of harmful habits and practices—have been stressed in detail. Recognizing that military service is also family-centric, special articles focus on topics that enhance the well-being of the entire Soldier family. In a letter to all ARNG Soldiers and families last December, COL Patrick Nolan, DDSD, then the ARNG Chief Dental Officer, wrote, “Dental Readiness is a top priority for force-health protection and the responsibility and duty of every Soldier. Additionally, good oral health is a family affair.” Users are offered direct access to the TRICARE Reserve Dental Program Web page from the ARNG Dental Byte Web site located at www.arngdentalbytes.com. The first year campaign, Oral Health Awareness is designed to reinforce the prevention mindset leading to improved oral health for Soldiers and their families throughout the entire Decade of Health. The ARNG will launch Year Two, “Get Cuffed!”—a blood pressure awareness campaign in a partnership with the American Heart Association—in January 2007. Dental Classifications The dental fitness classification is the primary measure of a Soldier’s dental readiness. The commander can use the dental fitness classification of unit personnel as an index of dental preparedness and to identify individuals who will require treatment during mobilization. The Department of Defense Dental Classification Guideline and AR 40-35 outline the following dental fitness classifications: Standardized Dental Fitness Classifications* View this article as it appeared in GX Magazine
* A Synopsis of Reference: DoD Health Affairs: Policy 02-11 on Standardization of Oral Health and Readiness Classifications, June 4, 2004
Copyright 2007. The article should not be reproduced in any media format or venue without written permission. administrator@hooah4health.com. |