ProBiora Health has stepped up to sponsor the Creating Smiles One Mile at a Time charity bike ride led by orthodontist Dr Don Montano in support of Smile For a Lifetime.
Recognizing that kids with crooked and buck teeth are often the number one target for bullies and that tens of thousands of families in North America cannot afford orthodontic treatment, Tampa-based ProBiora Health is stepping up to the plate to help these children by sponsoring Creating Smiles One Mile at a Time, an historic bike ride across the country to benefit Smile For a Lifetime.
Smile For a Lifetime is a nonprofit organization that matches kids in need of orthodontic treatment with dental professionals eager to provide pro bono care. Services provided run the gamut from standard orthodontic care to oral surgery and other necessary procedures.
ProBiora Health offers oral-care probiotics containing ProBiora3, a patented strain of naturally occurring bacteria which balances the oral biome helping to mitigate tooth decay and gum disease. According to the company, this is especially critical for people in orthodontic treatment as brushing and flossing can be a challenge.
The idea for the ride came from orthodontist Don Montano, DDS, MSD, in Bakersfield, Calif, and his friend and cycling buddy Robert Relle, DDS, FACS, an oral maxillofacial surgeon in Los Angeles. Montano is the Smile For a Lifetime board president and he and Relle have collaborated on several difficult cases through the organization. A cross country cycling trip was on both of their “bucket lists” and they both agreed to use it to raise funds and awareness.
“We are extremely grateful to ProBiora Health for their support of our ride,” says Montano. “The trip will be rigorous, but we plan for some fun along the way. After all, we want to give our sponsors some good stories they can share!”
The ride starts Saturday, September 12 at the Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles. The doctors will be accompanied by two additional cyclists who will also staff a support vehicle. It’s anticipated the ride will take 5 weeks, beginning on Route 66 then changing routes in southern Missouri. The plan is to finish the ride in mid- to late-October in Virginia Beach.
