MEDIA ALERT - PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES

WEST ALLIS, WIS., Aug. 6, 2007 – This Friday, Aug. 10 marks the 20th anniversary of the crowd-pleasing Wisconsin Dental Association (WDA) Smile Contest at the Wisconsin State Fair presented by U.S. Cellular. Children ages newborn to 16 years will compete for the title of “best smile” when judging begins at 1 p.m. on the Funjet Fun Stage in the Expo Center. Registration begins at 11:30 a.m.

First, second and third place prizes will be awarded in seven age categories and a special “tin grin” competition for children with braces. The first 300 children and youth to participate will receive a collection of personal oral health products and educational items.

The first annual fair Smile Contest was held Aug. 12, 1988 and was co-sponsored by the WDA and the Auxiliary/Alliance of the WDA, a group for dentists’ spouses that disbanded in 2001. With an estimated 30 – 50 kids expected to turn out for the first year, event planners were surprised by a showing of almost 200 participants!

The 2007 Smile Contest is made possible through generous donations of oral health products, prizes and financial support from D&S Dental Lab Inc., Delta Dental of Wisconsin, Dental Health Products Inc., DenTek Oral Care Inc., Patterson Dental Supply, Procter & Gamble/Crest, Saber Dental Studio, Sullivan-Schein Dental, Sunstar Butler, WDA Insurance Programs Inc., WDA Foundation Inc. and the WDA.

The WDA and the New Berlin Lions Club are teaming up for the fifth year to promote Floss at the Fair, also this coming Friday, Aug. 10, beginning at 11 a.m. near the club’s main corn roast tent. Marquette University School of Dentistry students will distribute more than 4,000 complimentary travel-size containers of dental floss to corn roast patrons thanks to the generosity of Delta Dental of Wisconsin, Dentek Oral Care Inc., Oral-B and Patterson Dental Supply.

Established in 1870, the Wisconsin Dental Association (WDA) is headquartered in West Allis. With more than 2,900 members statewide, the WDA represents the vast majority of practicing dentists in Wisconsin. Its members are committed to promoting professional excellence and quality oral health care. The WDA is one of 53 constituent (state-territorial) dental societies of the American Dental Association - the largest and oldest national dental association in the world. For more information on the WDA, call 414-276-4520 or visit www.wda.org.

CONTACT:                 Carol S. Weber, APR, Director of Public Relations
PHONE:                     414-755-4108; 414-315-9321 (cell on 8/10/07)
E-MAIL:                     cweber@wda.org