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Dugoni School Launches “Dental Care is Essential Care” PSA Campaign
Series of ads highlights importance of oral health, starting with a focus on children's dental services.
A Muni bus features the first of a series of public awareness campaign ads by the Dugoni School of Dentistry. Muni and SamTrans are hosting the bus ads at no cost to the dental school. Additional messaging will launch across other local media this summer and fall.
University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry has launched a public service ad campaign to deliver the message 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 Dugoni School of Dentistry.
“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. Preventive dental care can reduce the complications of other diseases and prevent more serious and costly dental and medical conditions down the road. 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.”
The initial theme of the public messages is the importance of children’s oral health, pointing out that dental cavities are the No. 1 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 season. As ridership starts to increase with the local economic reopening, the posters will be a visible reminder about keeping mouths healthy — and the school’s dental clinics that serve the public. Each year, nearly 18,000 patients of all ages receive care at the clinics located in downtown San Francisco.
The school’s marketing and communications team worked with the San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency and SamTrans to secure advertising space at no cost to the school, thanks to the transit agencies’ pro-bono PSA program for non-profit organizations. The school is also working on additional messaging opportunities to run across online, local TV and other media outlets this fall.
Interested in exploring more about oral health and overall health, or finding a dental professional near you? Visit the following resources:
- Mouth Healthy — American Dental Association
- Oral Health Resources — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Oral Health Resources — World Health Organization
- Dugoni School of Dentistry Dental Services — Open to the Public
- Find-a-Dentist — California Dental Association
