CINCINNATI, Jan. 1, 2009 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- From January through March 2009, Crest and Oral-B are encouraging people across the country to pledge to see the difference in their own smile while also making a difference in children's smiles worldwide. When people use Crest and Oral-B products, they will see the difference in their smile. People can also make a difference by simply purchasing Crest and Oral-B products, as Crest and Oral-B will make a monetary(1) and product donation to Operation Smile to help give new smiles to children in need.
During a four-week study conducted by dental health professionals at the University of Florida, participants who used Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste and Rinse together with the Oral-B Vitality Precision Clean power toothbrush experienced up to 7X better plaque removal(2) to help fight cavities and gingivitis.
"This Crest and Oral-B product regimen is an excellent daily dental health routine which delivers up to 7X better cleaning," says Robert Gerlach, DDS, MPH, Research Fellow at Procter & Gamble. "This has a real impact on America's oral health. By using this regimen, results show that people can have dramatic plaque reduction in just four weeks, showing major differences in the first two weeks. While mechanical means of plaque removal, such as toothbrushing and flossing, are essential for better oral health, this study proves that the addition of daily use of an antimicrobial rinse, a chemotherapeutic agent, is an important combination for effective plaque removal."
To celebrate this landmark study, Crest and Oral-B have partnered with Operation Smile, a not-for-profit, volunteer medical services organization that provides reconstructive facial surgery to indigent children and young adults in developing countries. Since its inception in 1982, Operation Smile volunteers have provided surgeries for more than 120,000 children and young adults all over the world. From January through March 2009, when people buy Crest or Oral-B products to help see the difference in their own smile, Crest and Oral-B will make a difference in children's smiles worldwide in partnership with Operation Smile.
"We are thrilled to partner again with Crest and Oral-B. See the difference, make a difference is a win-win for everyone," says William P. Magee, Jr., DDS, MD, Operation Smile co-founder and CEO. "The program empowers people to not only significantly improve their own dental health, but it also helps us at Operation Smile provide life-changing surgery to correct the smiles of children around the world. This is one more step in our great relationship with Crest over the past several years."
CREST PRO-HEALTH AND ORAL-B VITALITY
Crest Pro-Health toothpaste reduces more plaque than ordinary toothpaste(3). It provides plaque protection throughout the day(4) by killing germs that can cause plaque and gingivitis. In fact, Crest Pro-Health toothpaste protects against all these areas dentists check most: cavities, gingivitis, plaque, sensitivity, stains and tartar; and it also freshens breath. Crest Pro-Health Rinse kills 99 percent of germs(5) that can cause plaque, gingivitis and bad breath -- all without the burn of alcohol. Oral-B Vitality Precision Clean Power Toothbrush reduces up to 2X more plaque than a regular manual brush.
AVAILABILITY
Available now, Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste (three sizes ranging from 4.6oz to 7.8oz; $3.25 to $4.25), Crest Pro-Health Rinse (five sizes ranging from 36 ml to 1.5 liters; $1.19 to $7.99) and Oral-B Vitality Precision Clean Power Toothbrush ($21.99) are sold at mass retail, drug and grocery stores nationwide (suggested retail prices). Actual pricing is at the sole discretion of retailers. For more information, visit http://www.crest.com/ and http://www.oralb.com/.
ABOUT OPERATION SMILE
Founded in 1982 by Dr. William P. Magee, Jr. and his wife, Kathleen S. Magee, Operation Smile is a worldwide children's medical charity headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia. To date, more than 115,000 children and young adults in 26 countries have received reconstructive surgeries thanks to thousands of trained healthcare professionals and volunteers. For more information, visit http://www.operationsmile.org/.
ABOUT CREST
As a trusted leader in oral health, Crest helps consumers maintain healthy, beautiful smiles for life. Crest is committed to building on its history of developing innovative oral care products that meet the needs of consumers around the world. Since 1955 when Crest introduced the first fluoride toothpaste proven effective, it is estimated that Crest has helped prevent more than half a billion cavities in the United States alone. Crest also was the first toothpaste to secure the ADA Seal of Acceptance. Today Crest offers a family of products including toothpastes, toothbrushes, mouthrinses, floss and whitening treatments. Please visit http://www.crest.com/ for more product information, dental hygiene tips, special offers, promotions and more.
ABOUT ORAL-B
The Oral-B brand is a worldwide leader in the $5 billion oral care market. Part of Procter & Gamble, the brand includes manual and power toothbrushes for children and adults, oral irrigators and oral care centers and interdental products, such as dental floss. Oral-B manual toothbrushes are used by more dentists than any other brand in the U.S.
ABOUT PROCTER & GAMBLE
Three 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(R), Tide(R), Ariel(R), Always(R), Whisper(R), Pantene(R), Mach3(R), Bounty(R), Dawn(R), Pringles(R), Charmin(R), Downy(R), Lenor(R), Iams(R), Crest(R), Oral-B(R), Actonel(R), Duracell(R), Olay(R), Head & Shoulders(R), Wella, Gillette(R), and Braun. The P&G community consists of almost 140,000 employees working in over 80 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.
(1) Up to $25,000 and $25,000 of Crest and Oral-B products for children in need
(2) On teeth with regular use vs. a regular manual toothbrush and regular anti-cavity toothpaste
(3) With regular use (4) Based on a one-week Crest Pro-Health toothpaste plaque study (5) In laboratory tests
