You must’ve seen a lot of promotional schemes all over the internet or the television but you definitely haven’t seen it all. A dentist from the United States is running a new promotional scheme called ‘Grins and Glocks’. For those of you who might not have understood what the scheme promises, this promotional scheme offers to give patients seeking Invisalign (a teeth straightening) treatment a free gun, i.e. a Glock (type of gun).

The orthodontist Dr Jason Gladwell is running this promo offer at his clinic ‘Gladwell Orthodontics’ in Raleigh. This offer is offering the patients a choice between a $500 Glock or a membership of the Youngsville Gun Club and Range. Gladwell said that this offer was initially only for those who were on the clinic email list but has now opened the offer to non-members as well. Invisalign patients are still required to be ages 21 or older and will be subjected to background checks at the club in order to claim their Glock, said Kurt Lieberman, the owner of the club.

Dentist

The promotion doesn't transgress any law, according to Attorney Ron Shook, who argues that as long as a patient has the licence to legally own a gun, they are eligible under ‘Grins and Glock’. "Guns are like other property: you can buy and sell and dispose of them," he explained. "But the distinction is guns are potentially inherently dangerous, so there is regulation surrounding the transfer of firearms."

All this being said, people are not amused with this offer and do not approve of the idea of a dentist, a healthcare giver, himself giving guns to his patients which can be deadly in the wrong hands, especially given the history of gun violence in the United States.

Jennifer Copeland, the executive director of the NC Council of Churches, said in a statement: "It's mind blowing to me that an organisation that I think of as trying to provide health care to the people in the community is partnering their health care with gun death."

Meanwhile, Align Technology, which manufactures the trademarked Invisalign aligners, issued a statement distancing itself from Gladwell Orthodontics' campaign. "Invisalign trained doctors are independent practices and Align was not involved in the development or approval of this promotion by the dental practice, and only learned of it after the fact," a company spokesperson said. "For more than 25 years, Align has been helping doctors transform smiles and change lives through healthy beautiful smiles using Invisalign aligners, and this promotion does not reflect our brand purpose."

You might also be intersted in - Dentists and MBBS students (without degree) to be promoted for COVID Treatments in Delhi