For me, this seemingly minuscule instrument became the crux around which my life revolved. As the founder of Unspoken Smiles, my mission has always been to provide children and communities with the tools they need for better oral hygiene. However, roadblocks and challenges made it clear that I needed to go a step further – I had to invent my own toothbrush.
Every journey starts somewhere. For me, it began with the realization that while we strived to educate our beneficiaries about oral health, we often lacked the actual toothbrushes to give them. Despite the generosity of sponsors, there were years when we didn’t have enough. This inconsistency was a barrier to the value I wanted to create for my organization. The solution? A toothbrush of our own.
The journey wasn’t just about fulfilling a need. It was also about embracing our commitment to the planet. As the world’s first dental organization accredited by the United Nations’ ECOSOC, we are deeply attuned to global issues like climate change. Traditional toothbrushes contribute significantly to pollution, an issue we wanted to address with our product. Our toothbrush is not just a tool for oral hygiene. It’s a statement of our commitment to sustainability. Designed to last an entire year with replacement brush heads stored in the handle, it’s also biodegradable. This makes it a perfect fit not just for people with limited access to oral hygiene products, but also for those like military personnel and astronauts who are often away from the comforts of home.
But the path to innovation was not without its thorns. I remember the sting of rejection when a volunteer had secured a donation from a toothbrush company. I was thrilled, only to be informed later that they could no longer donate to our cause. The reason? Let’s just say it was a bitter pill to swallow. But this rejection was the final push I needed to create a toothbrush that was uniquely ours.
Today, I wake up every day with a singular focus: to make Unspoken Smiles more valuable to the world. To ensure that every child, irrespective of their circumstances, has access to a tool that is so basic yet so vital. And I invite you to join us on this journey. Let’s put a toothbrush in the hands of every child who needs it. Because every smile matters.