1/23/08

The ADA has launched its “Smile Healthy” certification program to help consumers identify which foods and beverages are good for oral health.

The “Smile Healthy” logo, which signifies a “smart choice for oral health,” will first appear on 1-gallon containers of fluoridated bottled water. The ADA has supported the addition of fluoride in water to help prevent tooth decay and hopes that consumers will look for the “Smile Healthy” logo when purchasing bottled water. The ADA anticipates that future “Smile Healthy” product categories will include sugar-free foods, beverages, and dairy products.

“Some people may not live in areas where their drinking water is fluoridated or perhaps they prefer the taste or convenience of bottled water,” says Mark J. Feldman, DMD, president at ADA. “Now when you see the ‘Smile Healthy’ logo on bottled water, you know you’re doing something good for your oral health.”

The first company to be granted a license to use the “Smile Healthy” logo on one of its products is Water Source One, a national bottled water manufacturer with 15 production facilities across the United States. Bottled water with the “Smile Healthy” logo is expected to start appearing on store shelves this spring under the “Kid Pure” brand in Florida, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio, with national distribution to follow.

To qualify for the “Smile Healthy” certification program, a product must meet oral health standards and undergo rigorous testing. The ADA Board of Trustees has set the following general standards for the “Smile Healthy” program:

•   All product categories to be included must have specific identifiable criteria to evaluate a product’s oral health benefit.
•   No exclusive company product arrangements will be permitted.
•   The product category is open to all products that meet the product category criteria.
•   The ADA will receive no revenues from these arrangements. Instead, 1% of net sales generated from the sale of products with the “Smile Healthy” logo will be directed to the ADA Foundation to be used in charitable access-to-care, education, research, and public awareness initiatives.

For more information on the “Smile Healthy” program, visit www.ada.org/goto/smilehealthy.

[ADA, January 22, 2008]