About Us

Some folks want to know how Toothfairy Island got started, so we thought that we would share the story with you, our island guests. One day, a young college woman decided to change her major so that she could become a dentist. Her mother was a gifted teacher and her Godmother was a dentist. She talked to both and decided to volunteer at The Children’s Dental Center to see if she would really like being a dentist. She knew from the first day that this was the career for her! But, in her role as a volunteer oral health teacher for the children, she was frustrated. She brought home questions each day for her mother, the teacher, about better ways to calm children’s fears, answer questions about oral health, or teach a non-English speaking child or parent preventive concepts. And she wanted whatever she did to be fun! From that beginning, the young woman’s mother started creating puppets, puzzles, lessons, and strategies that would meet these needs.

Three years later, the Academy of General Dentistry had formed an Oral Health Literacy Task Force to help improve oral health literacy in America. The teacher went back to Chicago to their meeting to share with them the educational programs that had been developed. She was asked to be a member of the committee and in time asked to write the curriculum to be put into the nation’s schools. The AGD established Oral Health Guidelines and as the years went by, more lessons were created until an entire oral health and wellness curriculum was established for children and their parents. This educational information base was for the pre-K child to the 6th grade. Even their caretakers could learn from these fun products. Unfortunately this project could not be completed due to lack of funding.

Since the teacher and the dentist wanted everyone to benefit from these wonderful tools, a company was formed with a little inspiration from the Toothfairy. With her careful collaboration, the company Toothfairy Island LLC was created so that even more educational products could be made to help children. You make think that the Island is fantasy, but we islanders know it is real.

By the way, want to know what happened to the young woman who was the volunteer? She went to dental school and became a dentist! In fact, she continued her studies and became a prosthodontic specialist so that she could help children and adults who didn’t learn prevention from the Toothfairy. Then she went to school again and learned how to be an oral maxillofacial prosthodontist so that she could help cancer patients look, feel, talk, and eat more normally. Even with her full schedule, she still helps out on Toothfairy Island. What a busy young dentist!


What our clients say...

The NCOHF Tooth Fairy Lesson plans are being used in three Chicago Public Schools this year. The lessons are more vibrant and engaging as a result of it.

Dr. Caswell A. Evans
Assoc. Dean, Prevention & Public Health
University of Illinois, Chicago