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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Saturday, October 24, 2009

Pink teeth not just a fashion statement in Colorado


By Dan Boniface
KUSA-TV, Denver

BRIGHTON, Colo. — Pink teeth are popping up everywhere in the Brighton area. On grown men. And mothers. However, teenagers appear to be the hardest hit.

And it's all because of one orthodontist.

"We have a lot of fun. We laugh, we joke, we tease; we have a very good time," the orthodontist said.

Wait. That doesn't sound sinister.

"What we decided to do was to ask all of our patients to wear pink ties on their braces, and then for every patient that wears pink, we make a $2 donation to the Susan G. Komen Foundation," said Rex Johnson, the orthodontist who owns Rex Johnson Orthodontics in Brighton.

Johnson came up with the idea a few years ago. He said that although October is National Orthodontic Health Month, he realized that there was something more important than promoting his profession.

"So we began this process of working to help fight breast cancer," Johnson said.

And it's been a success. Johnson convinced nearly 200 patients to go pink so far.

"Usually the young men are quicker to say yes and the girls have to think about it a little bit," Johnson said. "But the kids get excited. It's kind of a challenge for them. Especially the boys."