February is National Children’s Dental Health Month. To celebrate, HealthLink Dental Clinic, a nonprofit organization in Southampton, is launching a fun initiative for the whole family – Project Tooth Fairy.
While HealthLink provides dental care to adults age 18 and older, good dental care, attitudes and habits begin at early childhood and continue throughout a lifetime. Intended to create awareness of the importance of good dental hygiene and its impact on overall health for all members of the family, HealthLink invites children to join the Tooth Fairy Fan Club.
Membership in the Tooth Fairy Fan Club costs $15 per child. Children will receive a special video email message from the Tooth Fairy and a members-only care package delivered to their home. The special message can be selected by a grown-up to create a custom experience. One can secure their membership in the Tooth Fairy Fan Club by visiting healthlinkdental.org/projecttoothfairy.
Traditionally, the Tooth Fairy is a fantasy figure of early childhood in Western cultures; the HealthLink Tooth Fairy is a warm and smiling woman with fairy wings and a tiara. Members of the community can get a glimpse of the Tooth Fairy on HealthLink’s website or Facebook page. She will also be making appearances at storytimes and special events throughout the coming year, and will be featured in advertising and public service announcements.
The Tooth Fairy tradition was recorded in writings as early as the Eddas (c. 1200) when a child was paid a tooth fee when she/he lost their first tooth. The reward left varies by country, as does the appearance of the Tooth Fairy. In Italy, the Tooth Fairy is often replaced by a small mouse named Topolino. In France and French-speaking Belgium, the character is called la petite souris (“the little mouse”). From parts of Lowland Scotland comes a tradition similar to the fairy mouse: a white fairy rat who purchases children’s teeth with coins, and in Catalonia, children leave their teeth for Els Angelets (little angels) in exchange of a coin or little token. In Japan, a different variation calls for lost upper teeth to be thrown straight down to the ground and lower teeth straight up into the air; the idea is that incoming teeth will grow in straight.
The HealthLink Tooth Fairy will help educate the public regarding the critical ties that exist between one’s dental health and general health. Too many people do not understand that daily hygiene like teeth brushing, flossing and rinsing thoroughly go a long way in preventing dental problems at any age. Visits with a dentist are incredibly important. Dental health has implications for future medical conditions that could include diabetes, stroke, heart disease and arthritis. Children who develop good oral health habits early on are much more likely to continue those good habits into adulthood. This can help in preventing many dental problems down the road.
Sometimes considered a “best-kept secret,” HealthLink Dental Clinic is a 501(c)(3) organization that provides free dental services to veterans and low-income, working adults living in Bucks and Montgomery counties who meet the organization’s qualification guidelines.
Growing its impact steadily, the clinic’s leadership intends to attract more individuals to its committees and board of directors, more area dentists to volunteer work with patients, and more supporters to spread awareness about its mission. HealthLink also welcomes area businesses and corporations as ongoing partners and sponsors. This community involvement is critical to HealthLink Dental Clinic’s continued success.
HealthLink’s services include oral exams, X-rays, cleanings, extractions, root canals, crowns and patient education programs. Persons interested in learning more should visit healthlinkdental.org, call 215-364-4247 or follow the organization on Facebook @HealthLink1.
