As the Healthcare Services Manager of seven Head Start centers in Ohio, Tammy McGinnis incorporates the “Bright Smiles” and “Dental Is Fundamental” programs
into the pre-school program curriculum with funding from the ADA Foundation’s Harris Fund for Children’s Dental Health and Colgate-Palmolive.

In the past year, dentists, hygienists and parent volunteers for these programs helped 340
children learn about oral care with lively puppets and engaging activities. Children dressed
like dentists and learned to “drill and fill” a tooth. Children received free dental screenings
and dental care as well as toothbrushes, toothpaste and important new knowledge to share
with their families.

McGinnis has seen numerous examples of how connections made through the programs can change lives. She vividly recalls an unemployed mother of five whose children needed dental care and who covered her mouth to conceal her own broken teeth. “After a pediatric dentist treated the children, I found an oral surgeon for her and took her there.” McGinnis reports that once the mother’s teeth were restored, she gained the confidence to
get a job and she is now employed. “Her life and her family’s lives have turned around.
And now she faithfully takes her children to the dentist every six months”