(NAPSI)—This Halloween, the Tooth Fairy will have unlikely allies: a horde of humorous, family-friendly undead creatures dedicated to eradicating the dreaded “zombie mouth” syndrome.

To help raise awareness of oral health among children and their parents during Halloween, the American Dental Association (ADA), the leading source of oral health−related information, and video game developer PopCap Games have kicked off “Stop Zombie Mouth,” a program featuring the G-rated hit video game, “Plants vs. Zombies.”

The “Stop Zombie Mouth” campaign features coupons for free copies of the award-winning game as a tooth-friendly alternative to candy for Halloween. PopCap will give away millions of copies of the game along with more than a million free packs of game-inspired trading cards and other themed items. The trading cards will feature dozens of the game’s beloved “fundead” icons and will have tips for kids to help keep their teeth healthy during the sugary holiday.

Parents and other adults who host trick-or-treating children on Halloween can pick up free game coupons (redeemable for the full PC/Mac edition of “Plants vs. Zombies”) from participating ADA member dentists or by downloading them directly from www.stopzombiemouth.com.

What Dentists Say

Dentists agree that sugar can lead to a serious increase in cavities amongst children.

“Tooth decay results in more than 51 million hours of missed school each year. Diet plays an important role in oral health: Too much sugar can lead to cavities down the road,” explained Dr. William Calnon, president of the ADA.

“Tooth decay in children is almost entirely preventable,” added Dr. Jonathan Shenkin, ADA spokesperson on pediatric dentistry. “Brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and eating a balanced diet can lead to improved oral health and improved overall health. Working collaboratively, we can educate whole families in a fun way about the importance of proper oral health behaviors.”

Plants vs. Zombies

From November 1 through November 10, kids will be able to redeem the coupons for free copies of “Plants vs. Zombies.” In the family-friendly game, wacky zombies are invading the player’s yard and the only defense is an arsenal of zombie-zapping plants like peashooters and cherry bombs. The game is easy to learn, but tough to master and never the same twice. Parents will agree: Halloween was never like this when they were kids!

Learn More

You can find further facts about the game and the campaign at www.stopzombiemouth.com. For oral health information, visit www.MouthHealthy.org.

 

On the Net:North American Precis Syndicate, Inc.(NAPSI)