I saw this on a Crest Pro-Health toothpaste tube.

Problem:
A hyphen is missing.

Explanation:
Surely the designer of the toothpaste-tube label meant to put a hyphen between “Dentist” and “Recommended” — so that the label reader learns that the toothpaste provides benefits that are recommended by dentists.

Otherwise, this phrase means that the toothpast provides recommended (by whom, we’re uncertain) benefits to dentists (who, by implication, would be the readers of the label).

I believe that the label writer fell prey to the avoid-hyphens-at-all-costs style that is prevalent today in advertising copywriting.

I believe that this style is consistent with my “Devolution toward Simpler” hypothesis. It’s simpler to leave out the hyphen than to include it.

Solution:
“Provides Dentist-Recommended Benefits”