The American Dental Association, based in Chicago, is the world’s oldest and largest dental association. Unofficial sponsors of polls such as “4 out of 5 Dentists Recommend Crest” and “9 out of 10 Dentists Say Use Scope Daily,” the ADA’s publicity department has decided to expand the range of its polls, finding that in a general survey, 4 out of 5 dentists recommend “manning up and making the first move.”

John Crentist, a spokesman from the department, delivered the findings at an international conference for dental achievement on November 23rd. He stressed the importance of taking ownership in one’s relationships – gender nonspecific.

“‘Manning up’ is merely a term of convenience,” he said. “All are encouraged to be forward and make the first move in relationships, regardless of gender. To write ‘(wo)manning up’ would be cumbersome and, frankly, just doesn’t make any sense. Please don’t find reason for offense in the title. We really are cognizant of any potential sexism, but we’ve decided to stick to ‘manning up’.”

The press release from the study reads as following:
When dealing with the subject of considering a new relationship, both involved members typically are shy about taking initiative. This behavior has been surmised to be the societal norm up until this point. Dentists provide recommendations for all aspects of daily behavior, and thus a study regarding the previously mentioned topic was conducted within the field. Quantitative results for a survey of dentists in the Chicago area found that 4 out of 5 (±.042 dentist margin of error) support “manning up and making the first move” for all participants. This indicates that for purposes of good health, anyone considering entering a relationship should pursue it as far as possible.

Responses to the study have thus far been favorable, with new relationships in the Chicago area having increased 40% in the weeks following its release. The ADA is contemplating running an advertising campaign focused on the results, but is unsure as to the plausibility of such an undertaking.

US Weekly ran an interview with Dr. Crentist for the week of November 21st, in which he provided advice for how to approach a potential significant other. “Ask him/her to spend time with you whenever possible. Contact them if you see they’re online, in this age of access to technology. Get regular teeth cleanings. Make an effort to keep conversation going.”

The article was well received by US‘s usual readers and the medical community alike.

The ADA posted news of the study’s popularity on its site, along with a quote from Dentist #5. “I don’t know how to go about making the first move,” No. 5 wrote of her current relationship status. “I only met my current partner when she approached me with a cheesy pickup line. Maybe it’s better to wait it out.”

She has chosen to withhold her name for the sake of potential future relationships, saying that “urging someone else to make the first move is effectively making it yourself.” The ADA is contemplating continuing in this line of research, but remembered that the D stands for “Dental” and returned to its usual teeth-related studies.