A smile a day helps keep the doctor away

The mere act of smiling can lift one’s mood, lower stress, boost the immune system and even prolong one’s life. Yet, for many older adults, smiling, and even eating and communicating, are a challenge as a result of oral health issues.

Elders in assisted-living and long-term care facilities are at particular risk of poor oral health. Without the infrastructure for consistent dental care or staff trained in providing dental hygiene services, dental problems are common.

The difficulty in transporting elderly residents with mobility issues makes dental care even harder to access. Some residents are unable to stand up and scoot into a wheelchair. Even if they can get into the wheelchair, dental offices cannot physically lift patients from that wheelchair to the dental chair safely. For others, cognitive and other physical limitations present additional barriers.

Royann Royer, a local dental hygienist, saw this gap in care and decided to take matters into her own hands.

She began visiting assisted-living facility residents and discussing the need for dental care with the administrators. Recognizing the scale of the issue, Royer partnered with Christian Health Associates to develop Healthy Smiles Forever. Today, thanks in large part to a $250,000 grant from the Mat-Su Health Foundation, the nonprofit organization was able to pay dental care specialists, expand their in-facility services and provide training and education to CNAs and other providers.

Providing comprehensive on-site dental services to residents of five assisted-living and long-term care facilities in Palmer, Wasilla, and Anchorage, means that people can get the care they need where they live, bringing a great sense of relief to residents and their families.

The health foundation has been seeding nonprofit success stories like Healthy Smiles Forever since 2008, when its grant program began. As part owner of the Mat-Su Regional Medical Center, the foundation is able to channel its profits into the community. With more than $130 million invested in the Mat-Su in the last 16 years, the foundation remains a formidable partner in community health and wellness, while continuing to do its part to ensure that the medical center meets the needs of the Valley’s growing population.

With more than 20 percent of Mat-Su residents over the age of 60, access to the type of dental care provided by Healthy Smiles Forever is essential, and the need is expected to increase with time. By offering preventive services, restorative services, denture services and non-surgical extractions at each site one to two days a week, Healthy Smiles Forever is improving the overall health of Mat-Su’s older adults — and promoting more smiles.

FOR MORE INFO

https://christianhealth.org/

www.healthysmilesforever.org