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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Who the heck is Dr. Siggi?

That's what a pair of dental clinics wanted to know last week in an ad placed in Yellowknifer.

Around the beginning of June, the clinic received about 800 toothbrushes labelled with "Dr. Siggi" logos.

"We order our own brushes, with our own information logo on it, to give out to patients," said Krista Sansom, administrator of dental hygiene at the Adam Dental Clinic. "We have no idea who Dr. Siggi is. It turns out it was just a goof by Oral B."

The clinic operates two locations in Yellowknife - one on Franklin Avenue, the other, the Frame Lake Family Dental clinic. Between the two offices they gave out 12,716 toothbrushes last year, she said.

She said the dental clinic contacted the supplier, intending to send the brushes back, but Oral B told them to just keep the shipment.

"So we decided to give them away," she said.

The clinic took out ads to spread the word about the toothbrush giveaway. But the identity of Dr. Siggi remained a mystery.

"Oral B is a pretty big company," said Sansom. "He could be anywhere. I mean Dr. Siggi could be in Peru," she joked.

It turned out Dr. Siggi is actually Dr. Siggi Sigurdson, a dentist who runs the Swan Valley Dental Center in Swan River, Man. And, yes, he is missing a whole bunch of Dr. Siggi toothbrushes.

"We get a semi-annual shipment and I think they sent them to Yellowknife instead of Swan River, Man.," said Sigurdson.

He said giving the toothbrushes away for free was a perfect way to handle the mix-up.

"Maybe we'll save a few teeth," he said. "I think its a great idea."

Sigurdson hasn't yet received his order of Dr. Siggi toothbrushes, but expects a new shipment to arrive soon.

Sansom was thrilled to hear the news that Dr. Siggi had been found.

"The mystery is solved," she said, adding she intended to post the news on the bulletin board in their coffee room.

The free Dr. Siggi toothbrushes are available at Frame Lake Family Dental in Frame Lake Plaza - limit two per person, while supplies last.