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Every child deserves the basic tools they need to prevent tooth decay, but for many families, even a toothbrush can be hard to replace when budgets are tight.
That is why America’s ToothFairy created Smile Drive: to make it easy for volunteers, companies, schools, dental offices, and community groups to help children and families access the oral care products they need to build healthy habits at home.
During 2026,* 160 Smile Drives were registered in 38 states, Washington, D.C., and Canada, helping expand access to toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, and other oral care supplies for families who need them most. Together, Smile Drive volunteers, corporate donors, and online supporters helped distribute 290,704 oral care products to children and families in their communities across the country.
This year, 436 volunteers participated, organizing donation locations, collecting products, packing oral care kits, and delivering supplies to schools, shelters, food pantries, family resource centers, Head Start programs, and community outreach events.
In Oklahoma City, Dr. Kara Stone and her team at Southern Plains Tribal Health Board collected 5,224 oral care products, including more than 2,600 items donated to Community Action Agency of Oklahoma City to support Head Start programs. The remaining supplies were shared through Tribally focused community outreach events and by request.
The project came together after Dr. Stone’s small team faced early challenges finding local collection partners. Then one partner, MCNA Dental, responded with a generous donation of thousands of products, and a local dental office also hosted a collection box.
“These combined efforts made a very successful drive with a very small team,” Dr. Stone shared.
In Monrovia, California, Marla Watanabe and the Solventum Dental Solutions team collected more than 3,300 dental products and used them to assemble 450 dental care kits for Foothill Unity Center, a local organization that helps low-income families and people experiencing homelessness access food, housing support, health resources, and other basic needs.
The team originally set out to assemble 400 kits, but exceeded its goal by 50.
“Time and again, they go above and beyond to exceed the goals that are set,” Marla shared of Solventum employees. “They truly lead with big hearts, and their generosity makes a meaningful difference.”
At East Carolina University, dental student Emma Taylor and her fellow students collected 1,800 oral care products for D.S. Johnson Elementary School and Fairview Elementary School in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. She visited both schools to teach students about oral health, read Why Do I Need to Brush My Teeth? by Caressa Simmons, and lead an interactive demonstration.
All 600 students received goodie bags with a toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, crayons, an America’s ToothFairy coloring page, a sticker, and a bracelet.
“The best part of my Smile Drive was being able to deliver and speak to the children that I had been collecting these oral health care items for,” Emma shared. “Seeing the smiles on their faces when I spoke with them and handed out their goodie bags was an experience that had an impact greater than I ever imagined.”
Emma also shared that one student asked whether floss would be included because they had never had any before.
“I’m so glad I was able to provide floss and so much more for this student,” she said.
At the Career and Technical Education Center HOSA chapter in Beaumont, Texas, Keisha Kirkwood and 40 student volunteers collected 475 oral care items for Guess Elementary, Girls’ Haven, a residential program for girls affected by abuse, neglect, or family disruption, and Angels of Destiny, a local organization supporting youth and families.
Keisha shared that the drive succeeded because of “teamwork, compassion, and community support,” and that the project helped students raise awareness about oral health and preventive care while serving their community.
Other Smile Drive hosts found creative ways to meet local needs.
In Eureka, California, Sarah Vogel and the Humboldt County Dental Advisory Group held their third annual Smile Drive and collected 2,467 products for the Humboldt Network of Family Resource Centers, which connects families in rural Humboldt County with food, health information, parenting support, and other community resources.
Rather than hosting one central drive, Sarah’s group invited businesses, churches, Soroptimist clubs, nonprofits, libraries, and dental offices across the county to host mini-drives. Members of the Dental Advisory Group picked up the donated supplies to make participation easy, then divided the products among 16 family resource centers.
In Raleigh, North Carolina, Raquel Ledbetter organized a Smile Drive for Red Hat employees, who collected 1,791 oral care products for The Carying Place, a local nonprofit that helps working families experiencing homelessness move toward stable housing.
Raquel made it easy for busy associates to participate by sharing weekly updates through the office newsletter and internal messaging system. When it was time to pack kits, she set up an assembly line during lunch and invited employees to give just 30 seconds of their time.
“In less than an hour, over 130 kits were made!” Raquel shared.
For her workplace, she said, Smile Drive was the right fit.
“Thank you for making this a very easy and low time process,” Raquel said. “For our hustle and bustle office, this type of volunteer opportunity fits perfectly with everyone’s schedule.”
In Columbia, Maryland, Dana Dalgliesh helped bring together J.Crew stores from Baltimore to Atlanta to collect 813 oral care products for several local organizations, including Grace Helping Hands, which provides community outreach in the Washington, D.C. area; St. Vincent de Paul’s summer camp program in Baltimore; Healing Transitions, a Raleigh nonprofit serving people recovering from homelessness and addiction; and Atlanta Mission, which supports people experiencing homelessness.
“It is so special that our wide-spread district was able to get donations from their staff and donate to different local causes in four different cities,” Dana shared.
Smile Drive also gave first-time volunteers and smaller groups a meaningful way to help.
In Overland Park, Kansas, Lily Xidis organized a Smile Drive after noticing that oral hygiene products were especially needed at Just Food, a food pantry serving families in Douglas County. She shared that because the need was close to home, it motivated more people to give.
In Central Islip, New York, Maria Suescun Tobar collected more than 160 dental hygiene items for MercyFirst, a nonprofit that provides residential care, foster care, prevention services, and other support for children and families.
Maria organized the entire drive herself, placing decorated donation boxes at All Smiles Orthodontics, promoting the campaign on social media, and asking friends, family, and coworkers to help.
“What started as a small idea turned into something meaningful, and the experience gave me new confidence in my ability to lead and make a difference,” Maria shared. “It showed me how one person’s passion and dedication can spark positive change and bring people together around a shared goal.”
In Bowling Green, Ohio, dental hygiene student Ava Rohrs organized a Smile Drive at Owens Community College and collected enough supplies to support Brown Bag Food Project, a local organization that provides emergency food and other basic needs to people experiencing hardship.
“We raised enough to help at least 231 people, so any help is a success in my eyes,” Ava shared. “I just want to help those that do not have access.”
In Minnesota, Mellissa Stanfa-Brew helped Girl Scout troops from the Westonka and Orono communities turn Smile Drive into a “Dental Fun Day.” Forty-one girls participated, learning about dental careers and oral health from a dentist, dental hygienist, and assistant from Grove Health Dental. The girls rotated through hands-on activities, including making an impression, filling a tooth, viewing microbiology slides, and learning about dental tools such as braces and mouthguards.
Their group collected 133 donated items for WeCAN, the Western Communities Action Network, a nonprofit that helps individuals and families in western Hennepin County access food, emergency assistance, and family support.
Smile Drive also gave online supporters a simple way to help. This year donors contributed nearly $12,000, helping America’s ToothFairy distribute oral care products to families in need. Every $1 donated through Smile Drive provides a toothbrush to a child in need.
This year’s impact was also made possible by generous product donors including Crest & Oral-B, SmileMakers, Boka, Ordo, and Delta Dental of Oklahoma Foundation, whose support helped make large-scale product distribution possible through America’s ToothFairy’s Dental Resource Program, Smile Guardian kits, and community partners.
Tooth decay is the most common chronic disease of childhood, yet it is largely preventable when children have access to education, consistent care, and basic tools like toothbrushes and toothpaste. Smile Drive helps close that gap by turning generosity into practical support families can use right away.
Thanks to every volunteer, donor, company, student group, dental office, and community partner who joined Smile Drive this year, hundreds of thousands of oral care products reached children and families who needed them.
Together, we are helping more kids brush, floss, and grow up with healthier smiles.
To start a Smile Drive or donate toothbrushes for children in need, visit SmileDrive.org.
*Our 2026 fiscal year runs from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026.
