30 Days of Laughter: Oral Health & Diabetes

We recently spoke with Joey Fatone of *NSYNC and Dancing with the Stars to discuss 30 Days of Laughter, his upcoming promotion with Colgate to raise awareness for National Diabetes Month in November. This is especially meaningful to Fatone because his father is living with Type 2 diabetes.

We caught up with Joey as he was taping a segment about this promotion for the Meredith Vieira Show. 30 Days of Laughter will run on Twitter with the hashtag #30DaysofLOL, and will feature a series of videos on Colgate’s website in which Fatone appears in an unsuspecting person’s bathroom and instructs them on the importance of and the proper methods for oral care. He will also casually mention that Colgate Total, available at Costco, is the only toothpaste approved by the American Dental Association and the FDA to help prevent plaque, gingivitis and gum disease, which are very prevalent in a people with diabetes. You can get more information about Colgate at Costco here: http://cdiabetes.com/fall2015/colgate-total-toothpaste/

30 Days of Laughter encourages improved dental care in children and adults. As Fatone says, “having a bright smile is the best result of good oral care.” Since people with diabetes are more susceptible to bacterial infections and gum disease, he wants to emphasize Colgate’s primary message to people with diabetes, who are at increased risk for gingivitis or periodontitis: “choose a toothpaste that helps prevent and reverse gingivitis in only 4 weeks to promote better gum health.”

Studies have shown that gum disease can also affect blood glucose control, which can lead to diabetes; good oral health and dental care is especially important for those who are at risk or have a genetic predisposition towards the disease. In addition to brushing regularly with Colgate Total, Fatone maintains his health by exercising and eating healthy “most of the time” to keep other risk factors low.

And when asked where he gets his dental care supplies and healthy foods, Fatone replied, “Are you kidding me?! I’ve had a Costco card for years.”