Albuquerque

Dr. Gregory McGee was one of our first ten dental professionals to launch a Project Save A Mouth (PSAM) chapter, and his success in spreading information throughout his community has been phenomenal. He and his PSAM coalition have impacted thousands of Albuquerque locals. After this chapter launch in January 2017, the movement boomed. The attention and support Dr. McGee has received from the community have been truly amazing.

Dr. McGee, of Rio Grande Oral Surgery & Dental Implant Center, decided to launch the Albuquerque chapter of PSAM, the first in New Mexico, because it was a cause that hit home for him. As an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, he sees patients every day who face serious oral health complications that could have easily been prevented with better daily dental hygiene, routine visits to a dentist, and more knowledge about the effects of sugar on one’s mouth. Particularly in the Albuquerque area, this is very common.

According to a study conducted by the New Mexico Department of Health, Injury and Behavioral Epidemiology Bureau, 66% of New Mexico residents have seen a dentist in the last 12 months, compared to the national average of 71%. The children of the Albuquerque community seem to be taking the brunt of the damage. Tooth decay is the most common chronic disease among children, five times more common than asthma and seven times more common than hay fever among children 5–17 years old. Of all New Mexico residents, 40% have had six or more teeth extracted. This is due to a variety of issues, including sugar intake. If a person drinks just one sugary beverage a day, after one year, they will have consumed 36 pounds of sugar. Issues such as these are why Rio Grande Oral Surgery & Dental Implant Center and their partners have joined forces to give back to the community by creating a local branch.

To further the reach of PSAM, Dr. McGee built a coalition of dental professionals and community organizations, such as New Mexico University – Taos, Santa Fe Community College, and the New Mexico Department of Health. These people and groups signed the Project Save A Mouth pledge, promising to help spread the important information and do their part to increase oral health awareness in their community. They also participate in PSAM events throughout the year with Dr. McGee.

Since the launch of the chapter, they have received an outpouring of support. Dr. McGee’s branch has received multiple television news segments and an incredible response on social media. Dr. McGee looks forward to growing the chapter, its coalition, and adding more PSAM events throughout the year. He knows that, if even only one child is affected by this movement and changes their oral hygiene habits for the better, it has been well worth it.