Worried about horrible halitosis? Trying to make those pearly whites even brighter? In an effort to educate the public and increase consumer awareness of dental health issues, members of the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) are trying to put dental dilemmas to rest by hosting the SmileLine, a national dental health hotline that consumers can call to talk one-on-one with a dentist. During Dental Awareness Day on Friday, July 9, 2004, consumers will have a chance to get advice from the dental experts attending the AGD's 52nd Annual Meeting in Anaheim, July 7-11, 2004. Anyone with questions or concerns about oral health can call the SmileLine, toll-free, at 1.800.SMILE.33 (1.800.764.5333) from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. PT.
More than 100 dentists from across the United States and Canada will be answering calls throughout the day. Bilingual dentists will also be available to take calls from Spanish speaking consumers.
Advice given during the SmileLine, which is celebrating its 13th national anniversary this year, has helped put more than 15,000 consumers' dental questions and fears to rest.
"Most people know that neglecting their oral health means risking cavities and gum disease," says Manuel A. Cordero, DDS, MAGD, 2004 SmileLine coordinator. "We hope this toll-free service will help answer difficult or embarrassing questions about dental and general health issues."
Co-sponsored by Kodak Dental Products and Colgate Oral Pharmaceuticals, the SmileLine, dentistry's first national hotline, continues to raise consumer awareness about oral health, new dental technology and the options available to maintain a healthy and beautiful smile.
The AGD's SmileLine Online section at http://www.agd.org/ enables consumers to post dental questions online and have them answered by an AGD member dentist. Consumers can get names, addresses and phone numbers of up to three general dentists by calling 1.877.2X.A.YEAR (1.877.292.9327).
The AGD is a non-profit organization of more than 37,000 general dentists dedicated to staying up-to-date in the profession through continuing education. A general dentist is the primary care provider for patients of all ages and is responsible for the diagnosis, treatment, management and overall coordination of services related to patient's oral health needs. http://www.agd.org/
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