Youth Venture

Team that works to raise dental supplies to distribute in Lawra and Kumasi, Ghana

Six members of the University of North Carolina’s organization Project HEAL began Tooth Fairy Prevention in 2008 in hopes to promote access to oral care in Lawra and Kumasi, Ghana. With members having traveled to Ghana in summer of 2007, the lack of oral care was apparent. Teaming with the medical branch of our organization, we are planning initiatives to travel to Ghana every summer and teach oral health workshops that will stress the importance of proper oral care. Our idea begins with fundraising over 6,000 dental supplies to take to Ghana in the summer of 2009, yet continues with hopes to take a pediatric dentist to Ghana in summer of 2010 who can teach local doctors to apply Duraphat 5% fluoride varnish, which is known to reduce the prevalency of cavities in children. Our project has numerous possibilities and we feel that by teaching local doctors, access to oral health care will improve. Being based out of the University of North Carolina, Project HEAL has the capacity to continually fundraise to pay for shipping and supplies while also encouraging new students to become active in Tooth Fairy Prevention.
For more information visit our website at www.projectheal.net