Dental practices and companies invited to join national Smile Drive

America’s ToothFairy National Children’s Dental Health Month campaign to collect thousands of oral care products for underserved children

Dental practices and companies across the country are invited to join America’s ToothFairy: National Children’s Oral Health Foundation in a national, smile-saving campaign held throughout February, National Children’s Dental Health Month. This effort, the America’s ToothFairy Smile Drive, promotes the importance of dental health and collects toothbrushes, toothpaste and other oral care products for underserved children.

America’s ToothFairy launched its first Smile Drive in 2014, and since then has collected more than 660,000 oral care products for children nationwide. Last year, Smile Drives were held at dental practices, companies, schools, pharmacies, community centers and more, with all donations benefiting underserved children.

READ MORE | Help kids thrive through the America's ToothFairy Smile Drive

“We had a blast with the Smile Drive!” said Dr. Kendra Schaefer of Prosthodontics of Madison, a 2015 Smile Drive participant in Madison, Wisconsin. “Our patients appreciated that we were working to preserve the oral health of our youth. Since we are a prosthodontic office, our patients and referrers thought that it was great for us to participate in something was preventative in nature.”

Though the Smile Drive is a national campaign, local impact is a key component. Participating practices and businesses select a local nonprofit organization of their choice to receive their donations and personally deliver them—a great opportunity for employee and community engagement. Past Smile Drive recipients include local shelters, food banks, Boys & Girls Clubs, clinics, and other youth-serving organizations. The products Dr. Schaefer and her team collected benefited two Madison-area charities—Boys & Girls Club of Dane County and Touched Twice Madison Charity Dental Clinic.

Anyone interested in participating in the Smile Drive should complete a brief online registration form that will grant access to a free Smile Drive Toolkit with downloadable flyers, templates and other tools for promotion. All Smile Drive participants will be recognized in the National Smile Drive Directory.

“We are very grateful for the many caring dental practices and companies that have made a strong commitment to the health of children in their community,” said Fern Ingber, America’s ToothFairy president and CEO. “By participating in the Smile Drive, these generous partners not only provide at-risk children the tools they need to prevent pediatric dental disease, they help raise awareness of the vital importance of daily oral hygiene and regular dental care.”

To register for the Smile Drive, visit www.AmericasToothFairy.org or call (800) 559-9838.

Source: America’s ToothFairy press release 19 January 2016