America’s ToothFairy: National Children’s Oral Health Foundation celebrates year of successes

Dental Tribune International

Mon. 19 March 2018

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CHICAGO, Ill., USA: America’s ToothFairy: National Children’s Oral Health Foundation staff members gathered with representatives from many of the organization’s supporters Feb. 23 to celebrate successes in 2017. The Celebration of Smiles event is held annually offsite during the Chicago Dental Society Midwinter Meeting.

America’s ToothFairy Executive Director Jill Malmgren thanked the many companies that have donated funds, products and other resources to support the broad network of non-profit community-based providers the foundation helps support. Thanks to such support, since 2006 more than 8.8 million children and caregivers have received oral-health care and education; more than 1 million screenings have been provided to underserved children; more than 1.2 million oral-care products have been provided to underserved families; and more than $18 million in oral-health educational materials, grants and in-kind donations have been made.

Among the foundation’s goals for 2018, Malmgren said the plan is to provide 350,000 dental-care products to at-risk children, a number that was almost achieved in 2017.

The evening’s celebration included a live performance from former “American Idol” contestant Tony Tatum and an inspirational talk by former National Basketball Association great Muggsy Bogues, widely known as the shortest player to have performed in the NBA. He is best remembered for his seasons as point guard with the Charlotte Hornets. In his remarks, Bogues shared a poignant story about having a broken front tooth restored as a child growing up in public housing in Baltimore. He said the confidence boost he had after the procedure was transformative and continues to benefit him today because it enabled him in his youth to more openly smile and readily communicate with others.

The evening included a silent auction featuring sports and music industry memorabilia, including a signed basketball and vintage Hornets T-shirt from Bogues.

The non-profit organization is devoted to expanding access to dental care for at-risk children. All of the funds it raises go directly to such programs.

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