Smile with NAT is an initiative to educate young children on proper oral hygiene techniques in order to promote healthy habits that children can carry with them into adulthood. Lack of education is one of the main factors contributing to poor oral health, so teaching young children these practices is more crucial than ever.

This initiative was started by Natalie White, a pre-dental student at East Tennessee State University. Natalie has worked on this issue by presenting to young children on how to care for their teeth and donating dental supplies to them. So far, over 600 children have been presented to.

Natalie wondered how she could provide a more accessible form of this important knowledge. This is when she decided to write Tony the Tooth, a children’s book that provides an engaging story for children to learn about all things oral hygiene and the importance of visiting the dentist. This story is changing lives and helping others to smile with Nat!