Rite Aid and the American Dental Association (ADA) are promoting oral health in a national public health campaign supported by free educational guides found in Rite Aid stores and online at www.riteaid.com, easy access to expert advice from pharmacists and gift card rewards for purchasing many common oral health products.

Rite Aid's campaign starts this week and is intended to shine a light on the importance of good oral health, which experts have long recognized as a window to overall health. For example, scientific studies suggest that oral health may be linked to heart disease and stroke. Good oral health also is essential for people with diabetes. But for most Americans, good oral health is first and foremost the ticket to a good smile.

"Oral health is a natural fit for Rite Aid because a bright smile is a billboard for both health and happiness – the two core values that drive Rite Aid's everyday selection of products and services," said John Learish, Rite Aid Senior Vice President, Marketing.

To promote more widespread dental care, Rite Aid again is providing its customers with informative oral health care guides in cooperation with the ADA. Topics covered in the full-color, 12-page guides include:

• How inflammation from poor oral health may be linked to heart and blood vessel damage
• Why people with diabetes need to be especially careful to guard against diseases of the mouth
• How parents can promote oral health with children even before they can brush their own teeth
• What to do to treat canker and cold sores and how to tell the difference between them
• How to be prepared for a dental emergency including a broken, knocked out or chipped tooth
• When to replace a toothbrush and how to choose the right toothpaste
• How to talk to your pharmacist about alleviating the suffering from persistent dry mouth, which is a common side effect of many medications

Rewards programs during the two-month campaign ending Sept. 25 include Single Check Rebate programs good for a $5 Rite Aid gift card with the purchase of $15 of select oral health products or a $10 Rite Aid gift card with the purchase of $25 of select oral health products using the wellness+ card. Rite Aid's free wellness+ rewards program combines health and wellness benefits with shopping rewards and special prices, and wellness+ cards can be obtained free at any Rite Aid store, online at www.riteaid.com or by calling (800) RITE-AID.

Visitors to Rite Aid online at www.riteaid.com also can:

• Watch flossing and brushing demonstrations
• Read about common causes of dry mouth, a common side effect of hundreds of medications
• Get information on low-cost access to dental care through the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), one of the federal government's National Institutes of Health

Rite Aid also is supporting the ADA Foundation's Give Kids A Smile (GKAS) Expansion program by making a donation to its GKAS Fund. ADA Foundation's Give Kids A Smile Expansion program focuses on efforts in three primary areas: program enhancement, fundraising and staging an annual symposium to highlight Access to Care programs across the country.

Rite Aid (RAD) is one of the nation’s leading drugstore chains with nearly 4,800 stores in 31 states and the District of Columbia with fiscal 2010 annual revenues of $25.7 billion. Information about Rite Aid, including corporate background and press releases, is available through Rite Aid’s website at www.riteaid.com.