Crest® and Oral-B® Start a Crusade to Educate Americans About Better Oral Health

CINCINNATI, Jan. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Crest® and Oral-B® announced today that they are giving mouths of Americans a makeover. One-fourth of U.S. adults aged 65 and older have lost all of their teeth(i). Inspired by this startling statistic, Crest and Oral-B have started a cross-country crusade, the "4X Cleaner Crusade," to educate people on how they can achieve better oral health, including four times better plaque reduction with regular use of the Crest® and Oral-B® Pro-Health® system of products compared to a regular manual toothbrush and regular anticavity toothpaste.  Implementing such a regimen can help improve the overall health of a person's mouth, including protecting against cavities, gingivitis, and plaque.

"Oral health problems are common and costly in America," says Dr. Robert Gerlach, DDS, MPH, Research Fellow, P&G Worldwide Clinical Investigations. "An estimated $102 billion was spent on dental services in the United States in recent years(i). Many of the issues dentists see in patients are preventable with a proper oral care routine and regular dental check-ups."

The 4X Cleaner Crusade will challenge people across the country to improve their oral care in 2011 by encouraging Americans to take three important steps:

• Talk to your dentist about any oral health issues or concerns you may have, and see your dentist twice a year for regular oral health exams and screenings.
• Start using the full line-up of Crest and Oral-B Pro-Health products designed to work together to achieve better plaque reduction, so that you can feel more confident going into your next dental check-up.
• Eat a balanced diet and limit between-meal snacks as nutrition plays an important role in the health and cleanliness of your teeth, gums and mouth.

The Crusade aims to shed light on the state of oral health in America with stops in the two worst-teeth cities in America—St. Louis, MO and Philadelphia, PA—determined by findings published in a 2010 report from Men's Health magazine.  The events will allow consumers to see for themselves the plaque that is left behind on their teeth through a digital plaque imaging system.  A dental professional will also meet one-on-one with consumers who receive plaque images to answer questions and offer advice about how to help prevent future dental problems.

The Crest and Oral-B Pro-Health system of products includes:

• Crest® Pro-Health® Toothpaste: Delivers comprehensive protection for your teeth and protects these areas dentist check most: cavities, gingivitis, plaque, sensitivity, tartar, whitening and fresh breath.
• Crest® Pro-Health® Multi-Protection Rinse: Kills 99 percent of germs(ii) that can cause plaque, gingivitis and bad breath.
• Oral-B® CrossAction® Pro-Health® Brush: By combining CrissCross® and Power Tip® bristles with soft gum stimulators and a textured tongue cleaner, CrossAction Pro-Health provides multiple oral care benefits to help you achieve a cleaner, healthier mouth.
  

Join Crest and Oral-B on their journey to help Americans improve their oral health and prove you're willing to make a change too! Join the Crest Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Crest and follow Crest on Twitter at twitter.com/crest. For more information, you can also visit: www.crestprohealth.com.

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(i) “ORAL HEALTH Preventing Cavities, Gum Disease, Tooth Loss, and Oral Cancers,” Center for Disease Control and Prevention, February 19, 2010. http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/AAG/doh.htm

(ii) In laboratory tests.

SOURCE P&G