FONTANA, Calif. — NASCAR can certainly give people plenty to talk about, sometimes even passionately. Health, however, may not be at the top of the list of topics people think of when they discuss the sport. However, given the sport’s tremendous reach to fans and racing enthusiasts across the country, the sport has had the unique opportunity to raise awareness to subjects maybe some wouldn’t equate with the action on the track.
Over the years, many health services and products have been a part of the sport. Their presence has helped raise awareness for fans that may not have normally realized the importance of regular healthcare, to not only have access to services and products, in some cases, but teach them the value of taking proper care of oneself.
Generally, oral health may not be typically associated with what we consider overall health. In fact, the opposite is true. Many, many healthcare conditions and pathologies have a direct impact or correlation to oral health. In fact, Mayo Clinic states that oral health may provide a window to the body’s overall health.
Today, at Auto Club Speedway, this importance was highlighted as NASCAR and Aspen Dental made the announcement that the dental organization joins the sport as the official Dentist of NASCAR. Aspen Dental already had a history of exposure in the sport, first, with Stewart-Hass racing dating back to 2012, and then with the team’s driver Danica Patrick in 2014. This relationship continues, as this year they will serve as the lead sponsor of Danica’s Stewart-Haas Racing No. 10 Ford, in addition to their new and expanded relationship with the sanctioning body itself.
They sat down today with NASCAR and driver Danica Patrick, to discuss the importance of their relationship with NASCAR, not just for increased exposure for their brand, but to allow them the ability to stress the importance of overall health, specifically oral health, with an audience as vast as the one that belongs to this sport.
“Aspen Dental’s level of dedication to drive awareness and educate fans about the importance of dental health, especially as it relates to quality of life for everyday Americans is inspiring and contagious,” said Chad Seigler, Vice President, Business Development for NASCAR. “We welcome Aspen Dental to our family of Official Partners and look forward to adding our voice to amplify the important message behind Aspen Dental’s Get Started initiative.”
The Get Started initiative really addresses many of the issues most of us think of when it’s time to visit the dentist. Who should I see? How much will it cost? Do they accept my insurance? By logging on to their website, aspendental.com/GetStarted you can get all those answers and more. You can even find the location nearest you and schedule an appointment.
“Our goal is to help race fans through Aspen Dental practices and encourage them through this official partnership with NASCAR to Get Started on their road to better oral health and make dentistry easier,” said Bob Fontana, Chairman and CEO of Aspen Dental Management, Inc.
“Together, with the help of Danica Patrick, we want to tell race fans that all you need to do is Get Started to gain control of their oral health.”
With more than 600 offices in 36 states, they are one of the fastest growing networks of individual dentists, and believe in offering quality, affordable oral care in a judgement-free environment. Additionally, they offer on-site denture labs, which can help patients seeking dentures speed in completion not found in many other dental offices.
Let’s face it, visiting the dentist may not always be the most pleasant experience. It is, however, an important one. According to the Mayo Clinic, everyday medications we take like decongestants, allergy medications, diuretics and anti-depressants can reduce the amount of saliva in the mouth that washes away bacteria, allowing it to multiply and potentially lead to oral infection.
Furthermore, they state, “studies also suggest that oral bacteria and the inflammation associated with periodontitis-a severe form of gum disease- might play a role in some diseases. Certain diseases such as diabetes, or HIV/AIDS, can lower the body’s resistance making oral infections more severe.” Other conditions that have shown links to oral health according to the Mayo Clinic are endocarditis, an inflammation of the lining of the heart, heart disease, premature birth and low birth weight, osteoporosis and Alzheimer’s Disease.
While conditions such as those listed above are not often linked to the occasional toothache, or the need to visit a dentist regularly, you may now have a better understanding as to the importance of maintaining not just physical health, but oral health as well. Given the current discussions on access to healthcare, it also may be important to note that dental insurance is generally much more affordable than health insurance, although it may offer larger out of pocket expenses for some dental procedures.
However, Aspen Dental appears to have options not only for insured patients, but uninsured patients as well. New uninsured patients in many areas, are offered a free initial exam as well as X-Rays to aid in diagnosing any potential issues. Furthermore, many of their services are discounted, with pricing for many services, clearly displayed on their website for transparency and financial planning purposes.
If you are a fan of the sport, or Danica Patrick, you can even enter to win a VIP experience with Danica as well as a meet and greet at aspendental.com/getstarted.
Given the loyalty of the fan base, there’s no doubt Aspen Dental will benefit from its relationship with the sport. However, the fans will also benefit from that relationship. Those benefits will include not only improved oral health, but improved overall health, as well.
Email Lori Tyler at [email protected].
