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With support from the Schattner Foundation, America's ToothFairy is helping families and scouts build healthier habits through education, creativity, and community service.
Knowing when to replace a toothbrush, understanding why healthy teeth matter, or discovering how to help a neighbor in need can shape the way children care for themselves and others.
Thanks to a $20,000 grant from the Schattner Foundation, America's ToothFairy brought these lessons to children and families across the country through two efforts: the Swap When Sick Smile Guardian initiative and Saving Smiles Dental Hygiene Scout patch projects.
One equipped dental providers with resources to help families build healthier habits. The other encouraged young people to become advocates for oral health in their own communities.
When children get sick, parents know to wash their bedding, disinfect commonly touched surfaces, and take other precautions to protect their family's health. But there's one important hygiene recommendation many families overlook: replacing a toothbrush after illness.
Through our Smile Guardian Program, the Schattner Foundation helped us produce and distribute colorful Swap When Sick educational resources designed to reach 15,000 children and their families with this often-overlooked message.
The materials were shared with members of our Dental Resource Program, a nationwide network of nonprofit dental clinics and community providers dedicated to helping underserved children access dental services.
Each resource kit included children's activity booklets, informational brochures for parents, posters, table tents, and buttons for staff to wear while sharing the message.
The materials gave dental professionals an engaging, practical way to teach young patients about toothbrush hygiene and provide parents with important information they could use at home.
"Teaching students when and why to replace their toothbrush after illness is such a simple but powerful preventive health message, and this resource makes it engaging, memorable, and actionable," said Holly Jorgensen of Let's Smile, Inc. in Minnesota.
The resources also helped providers extend this vital health message beyond their dental clinics.
At Scenic Bluffs Community Health Centers in Wisconsin, the materials were enthusiastically received by dental, medical, and school-based oral health teams. The organization planned to share them through its school-based network serving 52 locations.
"Not only was our dental department thrilled to receive this, but also our medical and school-based dental team!" shared Samantha Knutson.
In Nebraska, Elkhorn Logan Valley Public Health Department distributed materials to schools and local urgent care clinics, where staff planned to reinforce the message by giving sick patients educational brochures along with new toothbrushes.
"What a great resource, and timely as we have so much illness in our community right now," said Kerri Dittrich of the health department.
These examples show how an important but often overlooked health message can reach children and families when healthcare providers have the tools to reinforce healthy habits at every opportunity.
The Schattner Foundation's support also engaged young people in hands-on learning and community service through Saving Smiles Dental Hygiene Scout patch projects.
Scout troops across 22 states, including Alaska, Hawaii, New York, Massachusetts, and Florida, signed up to participate in activities that combined oral health education with opportunities to make a difference in their communities.
The project encouraged Scouts to learn about caring for their own smiles while helping other children and families do the same.
To earn their patches, Scouts were challenged to organize a Smile Drive to collect oral care products for a local nonprofit, complete a creative "My Smile Matters Because…" activity, and choose another educational project. Their options included reading dental health stories with younger children, creating posters to promote healthy habits, or interviewing a dental professional to learn about dental careers and the importance of oral health.
For American Heritage Girls Troop GA1331 in Georgia, the project became an opportunity to connect oral health education with community service. The troop collected 100 dental hygiene items for the Ben Massell Dental Clinic in Atlanta, which provides charitable dental care to people in need.
A dentist who volunteers at the clinic visited the girls to explain his work, demonstrate proper brushing and flossing techniques, and discuss how dental professionals can use their skills to help others.
The girls also created "My Smile Matters Because…" posters, reflecting on how healthy smiles help them feel confident, express themselves, and connect with others.
In Minnesota, Girl Scouts from multiple troops combined dental health activities with a Smile Drive benefiting Western Communities Action Network, which helps families experiencing financial hardship.
Another Minnesota troop collected 143 oral care items for a local food shelf while learning why some families struggle to afford basic hygiene supplies.
Through these experiences, Scouts discovered that oral health isn't just about taking care of their own teeth. It's also about kindness, generosity, and helping everyone in their community have a reason to smile.
Whether it's a child learning an important hygiene habit, a parent receiving valuable information from a healthcare provider, or a Scout collecting supplies for neighbors in need, positive change often begins with education.
Through these two efforts, the Schattner Foundation equipped dental providers, engaged families, and encouraged young people to turn what they've learned into meaningful action.
We are grateful to the Schattner Foundation for its generous support and for sharing our belief that every child deserves the knowledge, resources, and opportunities to grow up with a healthy smile.
Together, we're helping important lessons become healthy habits that can last a lifetime.
Learn more about the Smile Guardian Program here.
