Yesterday, we held our 10th Tooth Fairy Project.
Ten times.
When I first started this project, I never imagined we would make it this far.
I still remember our very first Tooth Fairy Project.
There were only three children.
One of them was my own daughter.
And there were just two other little participants.
It was small. Really small.
But somehow, we decided to do it again.
And then again.
And again.
Until yesterday, when we welcomed our 10th Tooth Fairy Project.
Looking back, I feel a strange mix of emotions.
I am incredibly proud.
But I am also tired.
Very tired.
Because it has never been easy
Every time we organise the Tooth Fairy Project, it means giving up a Sunday.
A Sunday that could have been spent resting.
A Sunday with our own families.
A Sunday when the clinic could actually take in more business.
Instead, our entire team comes in.
The clinic stops its usual routine for a few hours.
The doctors and staff run around after children, talk to parents, prepare activities, clean up, manage the little ones who are excited, shy, crying, running around… and sometimes all at the same time.
And when the event ends, the day isn’t necessarily over.
Our staff and doctors often don’t even get a proper lunch before continuing with our scheduled patients.
By the end of it, everyone is exhausted.
Sometimes, I honestly ask myself:
How long can we keep doing this?
Do we continue?
Or is it time to stop?
I don’t always have the answer.
But then, there are moments like this.
A child who walks into the clinic holding tightly onto Mum or Dad.
A child who refuses to sit on the dental chair.
A child who is afraid even to open their mouth.
And then, somehow, little by little…
They start to smile.
They sit on the chair.
They let us count their teeth.
They let the dentist take a look.
And sometimes, months later, they come back to the clinic again.
This time, they walk in without fear.
They climb onto the dental chair themselves.
They know us.
They smile.
And suddenly, all those Sundays come back to me.
All the tiredness.
All the running around.
All the preparation.
All the moments when we wondered whether it was worth continuing.
Maybe this is the answer.
Perhaps the Tooth Fairy Project was never really about one event.
It was never about how many children attended.
It was never about how big the event became.
It was about changing a child’s first experience with the dentist.
About turning:
“I’m scared.”
into
“I can do this.”
And perhaps, most importantly, helping children grow up believing that going to the dentist doesn’t have to be something frightening.
That is something we cannot measure in numbers.
But we can see it in their faces.
From three children to Tooth Fairy Project 10.0
The little event that started with three children has somehow become something that White Density Dental Clinic is truly proud of.
And I am deeply grateful.
Grateful to every parent who trusted us.
Grateful to every child who gave us a chance.
And especially grateful to our doctors and team members who keep showing up, even when they are tired.
I don’t know how many more Tooth Fairy Projects we will have.
I honestly don’t know how long we can continue this journey.
But for now, when I see a child who once wouldn’t even sit on the dental chair return to us with a smile…
I think perhaps we will keep going for as long as we can.
Because sometimes, the things that take the most from us are also the things that give us the most meaning.
And maybe that is what the Tooth Fairy Project has become for us.
Not just an event.
But a little part of our journey at White Density.
10 projects. Countless little smiles. And hopefully, many more to come. 🦷🧚♀️
Sincerely,
Dr Gwen