The University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry has launched a San Francisco Bay Area public service ad campaign to raise awareness that dental care is an essential part of overall health.
“The mouth is a window into the health of the body, and research continues to show the connections between oral health and overall health,” said Dr. Nader A. Nadershahi, dean of the school.
“For example, a growing set of evidence has linked oral conditions, particularly periodontal (gum) disease, to several chronic diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, and stroke,” Nadershahi said.
“Preventive dental care can reduce the complications of other diseases and prevent more serious and costly dental and medical conditions down the road,” he continued.
“As the Bay Area continues to reopen, we want to encourage people to get back on track with ongoing care and visit their oral healthcare professionals,” he said.
The initial theme of the public messages is the importance of children’s oral health, pointing out that dental cavities are the number one chronic disease among California’s children.
Posters were installed across San Francisco’s Muni and San Mateo County’s SamTrans public transit systems to run during the summer.
As ridership starts to increase with the local economy reopening, the school said, the posters will be a visible reminder about keeping mouths healthy and about the school’s dental clinics, which serve the public.
Each year, nearly 18,000 patients of all ages receive care at the clinics, which are located in downtown San Francisco, the school said.
Dugoni’s marketing and communications team worked to secure advertising space at no cost to the school thanks to the transit agencies’ pro bono PSA program for nonprofit organizations.
The school also is working on additional messaging opportunities to run across online, local television, and other Bay Area media outlets this summer and fall.
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