the National Children's Oral Health Foundation

Having a beautiful smile would change everything for her son. Jalen’s mother had tried to get him the dental care he needed, but the family had faced hard times over the years and they were unable to afford it. Accidents resulting in trauma to his mouth as a child had left him with a broken smile.

Bullied for years and enduring cruel taunts from her classmates, Micah would cry herself to sleep every night.  The teasing grew worse with each passing day, and finally her peers resorted to cyber bullying, calling her names and posting their harsh words online for all to see.  Called “Tiger Teeth” by her peers, she found making friends difficult and suffered in pain every day.  “No one wants to be around the girl with ragged teeth,” she once remarked.

With February being recognized as National Children’s Dental Health Month, this is a good time each year to raise awareness of the importance of good oral health in kids. But it’s also a good time to recognize achievements like those accomplished by the National Children’s Oral Health Foundation.

This is the story about Zeb, a promising Brooklyn high school student who privately suffered pain and embarrassment stemming from the effects of poor oral health. He was afraid to smile when asked to “say cheese” for a camera and dreaded meeting new people, fearing ridicule once they saw his unsightly smile.