Florida Dentists Sponsor Toll-Free Hotline

On Thursday, June 10, members of the Florida Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) and the Florida Dental Association will host a toll-free dental hotline.

From 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Florida residents can dial 1-800-SMILE 33 to ask a Florida AGD member dentist any oral health question, free of charge. "Almost 40,000 calls were placed to our national hotline," said Craig Valentine, DMD, coordinator of this year's Florida SmileLine, in a press release. The national hotline was held in July last year in conjunction with the AGD's annual meeting. On July 22 and 23, the AGD will host the national SmileLine as part of this year's annual meeting in Salt Lake City. The line will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. EDT.

Popular topics raised at the AGD national dental hotline were bleaching, sealants, proper oral health techniques, implants, tooth decay, sensitive teeth and cosmetic dentistry. Older adults can contact the SmileLine to learn more about dry mouth, loose teeth, sore gums, gum disease and dentures. Bilingual dentists will be available to answer calls from the Hispanic community, according to a press release from the AGD.

"The SmileLine provides an excellent free service by giving people a chance to ask questions they may be embarrassed to ask their own dentist," said Valentine. "Once people's questions are answered, we hope they'll feel more comfortable talking with their own dentist and schedule and appointment."