Did You Brush Your Teeth Today? Millions of Kids Don’t Have Access to Basic Oral Care Like a Toothbrush and Toothpaste, and Crest and Oral-B Want to Help Change That

This National Brush Day Join Crest and Oral-B on Their Mission: Getting the Basics to Every Kid in Need To Help In #ClosingAmericasSmileGap

CINCINNATI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--When it comes to brushing our teeth, we’ve all had to use the ‘finger brush’ as a last resort. But for the millions of kids who woke up this morning without access to the basics many of us take for granted, such as a toothbrush and toothpaste, it was their only option. Put simply, this is not how kids should have to brush their teeth. That’s why today, on National Brush Day, Crest and Oral-B are taking another step in the Brands’ efforts towards Closing America’s Smile Gap. For every product purchased during November, Crest and Oral-B will donate product to a kid that needs it the most¹.

“I’ve seen first-hand what lack of access to basic oral care needs does to kids – not just the physical pain, but the emotions from it due to lower confidence and missed opportunities,” said Dr. Franklyn Aguebor, DMD and owner at Smile Design Dental Studio. “It starts every day in their bathrooms without access to the basic tools, and spreads to their ability to access dental education, care and treatment. Raising awareness of the inequities and getting the basics into the hands of the kids that need them the most is a key first step. And consumers are helping every time they buy Crest and Oral-B products this month.”

Kids not having simple basics like a toothbrush or toothpaste is part of a much bigger problem in America – kids in underserved communities just don’t get the oral care they need. This reality leaves the health of their smiles vulnerable, with some kids up to 4x more likely to have poor oral health than their peers². The outcome? Millions of kids living with cavities and other preventable oral health issues that cause them to miss out on opportunities today, and tomorrow. At Crest and Oral-B, they call this The Smile Gap, and they are committed to closing it.

“We believe every kid has the right to a healthy smile and the opportunities it brings, and are committed to tackling the issues and barriers that contribute to poor oral health in kids in underserved communities – access, education and representation,” said Carlos De Jesus, Senior Vice President of Oral Care, North America at P&G. “Ensuring every kid in America has access to oral health basics like toothbrushes and toothpaste is a solvable problem, but reaching kids effectively isn’t as easy as it seems. Until the infrastructure is in place, Crest and Oral-B will continue to donate and make available the same products dentists use with their own families to every kid in need, every chance we can. We want to ensure every kid gets a fair chance of a healthy smile today, so their tomorrow isn’t at risk.”

With a goal to Close America’s Smile Gap by providing oral care to 20 million smiles in need by 2030, Crest and Oral-B have been hosting local community events over the past year in partnership with charitable organizations, retailers and hundreds of thousands of dental professionals nationwide. Each community event offers dental education for kids and adults, dental care and screenings, and dental care products for kids in underserved communities.

As part of their efforts to raise awareness of the ‘Smile Gap’, Crest and Oral-B have released a new provocative creative campaign to coincide with National Brush Day – a day focused on the importance of kids brushing their teeth, which is hard to do if you don’t have the tools you need. The campaign highlights the harsh reality kids without access to the basics like a toothbrush and toothpaste endure every day. The goal is to disrupt people’s complacency on the issue of underserved kids not getting the oral care they need. The launch video can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OdY5-Gfhtg

For more information on how to join forces with Crest and Oral-B in #ClosingAmericasSmileGap, please visit http://spr.ly/CASG

About Crest

A trusted leader in oral health, Crest was the first oral care brand to secure the ADA Seal of Acceptance for a clinically proven fluoride toothpaste. Since first introducing fluoride toothpaste 65 years ago, it is estimated that Crest has helped prevent countless cavities in the United States.

About Oral-B

Oral-B is the worldwide leader in the over $5 billion brushing market. Part of the Procter & Gamble Company, the brand includes manual and electric toothbrushes for children and adults, oral irrigators and interdental products, such as dental floss.

About Procter & Gamble

P&G serves consumers around the world with one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Always, Ambi Pur, Ariel, Bounty, Charmin, Crest, Dawn, Downy, Fairy, Febreze, Gain, Gillette, Head & Shoulders, Lenor, Olay, Oral-B, Pampers, Pantene, SKII, Tide, Vicks, and Whisper. The P&G community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and information about P&G and its brands.

¹ Crest & Oral-B will donate up to 500,000 products purchased in the month of November. The product purchased is not guaranteed to be the same product that will be donated

² Explaining Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Children’s Dental Health: A Decomposition Analysis. Guarnizo-Herreno & Wehby