To mark National Oral Health Month this April, Walmart, Crest® and Oral-B® have teamed up to provide Canadians with ‘A Better Check-Up Program’. The program is composed of a national tour of local Walmart stores, in which a registered dental hygienist and student hygienist will educate Canadians on the importance of oral health. While there, these dental health professionals will provide customers with information and tips that can lead to sound dental health and overall wellbeing including:

1. If you don’t floss, you are missing more than a third of your tooth surface.1
2. Dentists recommend brushing for at least two minutes. Brushing your tongue and cheeks will help fight bad breath.
3. The Canadian Dental Association recommends changing your toothbrush every three months or following a cold so the germs do not spread.
4. Rinsing with mouthwash should last for at least 30 seconds.
5. Sore, red and puffy gums that bleed when brushing or flossing can be symptoms of gingivitis.2
6. Advanced bristle pattern toothbrushes are specifically designed to fight plaque buildup and gingivitis in hard to reach places in the mouth.
7. Composed almost entirely of calcium salts, tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the human body.3
8. Raw vegetables, crunchy fruit and sugar-free beverages don’t stick to teeth, preventing bacterial build up that can lead to gum disease.
9. People who consume less than 60 mg of vitamin C a day are one and a half times more likely to get gum disease than those who consume at least 180 mg.4
10. Gum disease can lead to a greater risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes – making the “floss, brush and rinse” rule an important one to follow.5

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For more information please contact:

Kathleen Stelmach
Torchia Communications
Tel.: 416-341-9929 Ext 227
kathleen@torchiacom.com

Jason Chapman
Torchia Communications
Tel.: 416-341-9929 Ext 224
jason@torchiacom.com

1 Source: http://www.cda-adc.ca/en/oral_health/cfyt/dental_care/flossing_brushing.asp
2 Source: http://www.cda-adc.ca/en/oral_health/complications/diseases/gum_diseases.asp
3 Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/body/factfiles/teeth/teeth.shtml
4 Source: http://www.perio.org/consumer/vitamin.c.htm
5 Source: http://www.perio.org/consumer/mbc.heart.htm