Colgate Total Partners With Gospel Artist Promoting Oral Health

Grammy award winning Gospel artist Yolanda Adams is also a health advocate. 

With her syndicated radio show, "Wellness Wednesday" she has partnered with Colgate to educate  African Americans on the connection between diabetes and gum disease - and also to empower them to help take charge of their diabetes.

Colgate Total® is the only toothpaste FDA-approved and American Dental Association -accepted to help prevent gingivitis, the most common form of gum disease. 

Over half of African Americans (55%) surveyed said it is very important for them to have family support in helping them manage their diabetes and almost two-thirds (63%) agreed that it is very important that their family was aware of the health issues related to diabetes.

Family support and awareness of health issues is significantly more important for African Americans than Caucasians.

• 30% of African Americans reported a decline in their oral health since being diagnosed with diabetes, which is almost double the decline reported by Caucasians (16%)

• 66% of respondents were unaware that people with diabetes are twice as likely to develop serious gum disease compared with those who do not have diabetes. Upon hearing this information, the majority (56%) said they plan to pay more attention to their oral healthcare.

• More than half (59%) of all respondents and 44% of African Americans respondents reported that they were not personally concerned about gum disease, and only 38% of people with diabetes, but 53% of African Americans, said that they pay "a great deal" of attention to their oral health and dental care.

• African Americans and Hispanics were more likely than Caucasians to say they pay "a great deal" of attention to their oral health and dental care (53% of African-Americans and 46% of Hispanics vs. 34% of Caucasians).

• African Americans (19%) are much more likely to rely on friends/family for information about oral health than are Caucasians (11%) or Hispanics (15%). They are also more likely to rely on magazines or newspapers (20%) and TV shows (17%) for oral care information than Caucasians (9% and 2%).

• African Americans and Hispanics are eager for more information compared to Caucasians; 23% of Caucasians, compared to 40% of African Americans and 43% of Hispanics, said they "have some information about the possible link between oral health/dental care and diabetes but would like more.

Source: Herald Online

More about Diabetes and Oral Health from the American Diabetes Assoc.