We seem to be pretty good at "talking" but most of us are still at the "crawling" stage when it comes to promoting oral health. In my opinion, we are still missing the boat when it comes to message development for oral health. And because the profession is virtually still "crawling," we are being left behind, while other health messengers have devised innovative techniques for delivering their messages to the public.

Most mainstream dentists are amusingly defensive about the wonderful job that dentistry has done with educating the public about the importance of proper tooth brushing. Well, I can't deny that we have done a good job. But we are rapidly moving towards a new millennium and we cannot continue to rest on the laurels of a public education campaign from thirty years ago! Marketing and promotion of dental health must be a priority -- it must be multi-pronged, it must be relevant, and it must be targeted to all ethnic groups.

How can we expect oral health to be accepted as an integral component of overall health if our profession does little to promote this concept? Complaining among ourselves about dentistry's lack of respect and lack of awareness is passe. The real question is this: What are we doing to move oral health care out of the "optional" status into the "mandatory" category? Talking is NOT ENOUGH. The painful truth is that we have become content to rest on our laurels. We have comfortably settled into the status quo of the "brush, floss, see your dentist twice a year" message. Major problem -- the message is antiquated and it is inadequate.

We can't blame legislators or dental plan administrators for under funding dental programs. We can't blame consumers for not being prevention-oriented and seeking care, in the absence of the usual barriers (access, availability or finances). We have only ourselves to blame for continuing to allow oral health to be separated from overall health. We must focus on an "integrated" health message that accurately and appropriately addresses the impact that oral health has on overall health. Diabetes and heart disease are relevant to oral health. We have to speak up and speak out about the impact HIV/AIDS, cancer/therapy and tobacco have on oral health. We must be emphatic about the necessity of good oral health as it relates to the health of the rest of our body. And in shaping our message for the next century, we must move oral health care from "optional" to "mandatory" for all Americans.

What will also be crucial to the development of appropriate dental messages is "ethnic relevancy." Major corporations have capitalized on ethnic and target marketing. Why not dentistry? Cultural barriers to good oral health must be dismantled, and they can be -- with understanding, sensitivity, diplomacy and dignity. We must form non-traditional partnerships, and train messengers from outside of the dental profession. Well educated non-health professionals can be our best allies and strongest advocates. When it comes to ethnic marketing, we must utilize the mass media, the community centers (Hispanics), churches (African-Americans) and schools (African-Americans, Hispanics and Asians) to get our message across.

But with all of this said -- FIRST, health professionals must be "reprogrammed." We must continually promote the value of oral health in relation to overall health and give more than just lip-service to PREVENTION.

The change must begin in the dental school curricula and extend into the communities. Members of the profession must get past the notion that only "we" are capable of delivering the oral health care message. We must reach out and embrace new partners. Social workers, teachers, clergymen and community leaders can be powerful advocates. Strange bedfellows make great partners and can teach us how to "walk-the-walk."