Supporting Children

Helping Children - one tooth at a time

Smiles Forever teams with organizations throughout Bolivia to provide dental care to children who need it. We're proud of the impact we've had, and the smiles we've saved.

The reason for it all

It has always been the focus of Smiles Forever to set up an environment where children get the care they need and deserve. Sandy's first trip to Cochabamba was intense, involving emergency dental care for the kids at Madre de Dios, making do with limited supplies and support. This experience highlighted the need for Smiles Forever, and spurred the creation of the organization as it is today.

The health and quality of life of a large proportion of the world’s children are compromised by dental caries and periodontal disease.

Children with poor oral health experience pain and tooth loss which compromise normal eating and negatively impact their nutrition, self-esteem, speech, socialization, quality of life, and school attendance. Worldwide it is estimated that >51 million school hours are lost annually from dental-related illness. The consequences of established disease also place a considerable economic burden on children’s families and society, yet caries can be arrested, and the early stages potentially reversed, by employing measures that are inexpensive and simple to teach, principally by the maintenance of oral hygiene through regular removal of food deposits and related measures to reduce dental plaque formation and the negative impact of gingivitis.