Crest(R) and Oral-B(R) Challenge America to a Better Check-Up

CINCINNATI, March 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Crest® and Oral-B® announced today that they are giving mouths of America a makeover.  Inspired by startling statistics on the state of America's oral health, including the fact that tooth decay affects more than 90 percent of adults over age 40(1), Crest and Oral-B have launched the Better Check-Ups Challenge.

The Better Check-Ups program will challenge people across the country to improve their oral care in 2010.  The program encourages participants to talk to their dentist, start using the full line-up of Crest Pro-Health products and at the end of the six months, Crest and Oral-B are confident that there will be an improvement in each participant's oral health.  If proven wrong, the patient could be eligible to receive a check for $45 to cover the cost of their check-up.*

In late 2009, totalbeauty.com issued a list of the 14 cities in the U.S. with the worst teeth, and Crest and Oral-B selected six of these to identify six ambassadors, residents of the city who want to improve their oral health and lead the challenge.  The selected ambassadors must agree to use the regimen twice daily, as well as visit the dentist for an initial check-up, a 3-month visit and then a final appointment at the end of six months to report results.  The six participating cities and ambassador casting call dates are as follows:

• Miami, FL  – Thursday, December 17th
• Greensboro, NC – Friday, March, 5th
• Atlanta, GA – Monday, March, 8th
• Las Vegas, NV – Monday, March, 15th
• Albuquerque, NM – Wednesday, March, 17th
• Baton Rouge, LA – TBD, please visit www.crestprohealth.com for updates and all location details

Crest and Oral-B have also identified a dentist in each of the six cities to oversee the care of these ambassadors, ensuring they receive the proper attention and documenting their progress fully.

"Patients have started using the full line of Crest and Oral-B products and have seen improvement in the overall health of their teeth," said Dr. Cesar R. Sabates, D.D.S., Coral Gables, Florida.  Dr. Sabates' patients in Miami began the Better Check-Ups challenge in early February and he "feels confident that with a few small changes from this program, individuals' efforts will have a positive effect on their overall oral health."

Crest and Oral-B are encouraging anyone who wants to improve their oral health to take part in the Better Check-Ups Challenge.  To learn more about joining, go to the Crest Pro-Health website (www.crestprohealth.com).  Download the assessment form and purchase the participating products listed below.  Each participating individual must have their dentist fill out the form at an initial visit and then again at the end of the six months.  If the dentist indicates there is no improvement at the six month check-up, Crest and Oral-B will pay for the visit*.

The products used as part of the challenge include:

• Crest® Pro-Health™ Paste: Delivers our most 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: Protects against plaque and gingivitis
• Crest® Glide® Deep Clean Floss: Uniquely formulated with special cooling sensates that add a blast of minty freshness between teeth that continues even after flossing to help signal a clean feeling.
• 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.

For more information on the Better Check-Ups Challenge, please visit www.crestprohealth.com.

About Procter & Gamble

Four billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world. The company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Pampers®, Tide®, Ariel®, Always®, Whisper®, Pantene®, Mach3®, Bounty®, Dawn®, Gain®, Pringles®, Charmin®, Downy®, Lenor®, Iams®, Crest®, Oral-B®, Duracell®, Olay®, Head & Shoulders®, Wella®, Gillette®, Braun® and Fusion®. The P&G community includes approximately 135,000 employees working in about 80 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.

(1) "Oral Health Preventing Cavities, Gum Disease, and Tooth Loss." U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Coordinating Center for Health Promotion. February 2008. Accessed 8/22/08 at:

http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/publications/AAG/pdf/doh.pdf

*You may be eligible to receive a check for $45. Purchase and save product receipts for the following: 1) Crest® Pro-Health® Toothpaste, 2) Crest Pro-Health Rinse, 3) Crest Glide® Floss and 4) Oral-B® CrossAction® Pro-Health OR Oral-B Pulsar Pro-Health OR Oral-B Rechargeable Toothbrush Heads OR an Oral-B Rechargeable Toothbrush. Download an assessment form at www.crestprohealth.com by March 31, 2010. Initial assessment with dentist/hygienist must be completed by March 31, 2010. Second assessment must be completed by September 30, 2010. At your next regularly scheduled visit, if dentist/hygienist does not see an improvement after you use the Pro-Health regimen at least twice daily for six months, send in your product receipts and assessment form by October 11, 2010. You may be eligible to receive a check for $45.00. For more information, visit crestprohealth.com. Void in Maine.

SOURCE Procter & Gamble