Kids and adults can strive for a happy and healthy year with good oral care

Proper oral care = health and happiness. That's the equation being promoted from governmental agencies to health groups to scientists. The CDC's campaign, "Brush Up on Healthy Teeth," states that "a healthy smile is a sign of a happy child." The American Dental Association, which sponsors National Dental Health Month each February, has chosen "Rock Your Smile" as this year's slogan. Posters and games show children and teens dancing and singing their way to a healthy smile.

Oral health is one of the federal government's Leading Health Indicators in Healthy People 2020, a set of 10-year, national goals and objectives for improving the health of all Americans. In fact, studies suggest that gum disease could be a contributing factor to broader health problems, such as cardiovascular disease and stroke. While scientists continue to search for the cause-and-effect relationship, experts such as John Dodes, DDS, an advisor to the American Council on Science and Health, advise people to "brush, floss, and rinse with a therapeutic mouthwash twice a day."

As a consultant to Johnson & Johnson Healthcare Products Division of McNeil-PPC, Dodes reminds patients and pharmacists to use Listerine Antiseptic, which contains a fixed combination of 4 essential oils and is clinically proven to kill germs that cause plaque, gingivitis, and bad breath.