The 3D dental models were a huge hit among the second-graders at Scholarship Prep Orange County, a charter school in Santa Ana. Guest educator Nataly Campos, a UC Irvine junior, held one of the plastic mouths as a student eagerly demonstrated proper brushing technique. She carefully applied the large red toothbrush as her classmates shared what they knew about oral care.

“My mom and I use mint-flavored toothpaste!” one shouted. “You go to the dentist twice a year!” said another. Campos’ partner, UC Irvine senior Kathy Duong, waited for the chatty voices to die down. “Today,” she said, “we’ll be talking about the adventures of keeping our teeth happy and healthy.”

Campos and Duong are co-presidents of the Anteater Smile Project, created in 2020 by students in UC Irvine’s chapter of the Tau Sigma national honor society in response to social and racial injustices in dental care. The volunteer-based club raises awareness of oral health while also improving the overall well-being of underserved populations.

A central aspect of the Anteater Smile Project’s work is oral health education, which members foster through their partnership with Scholarship Prep Orange County. The UC Irvine students visit at least once a month, hosting interactive presentations for TK-4 classes about oral hygiene.

Witnessing the children’s eagerness to learn and their recognition of dental care practices from previous presentations is encouraging, Duong says – a sign that the Anteater Smile Project’s work is resonating in their young lives.

Beyond educational outreach, the 30-member club benefits communities through acts of service.

“There are many opportunities available, but we always try to boil it down to ‘Is it serving their health? Is it improving their well-being in any way?’” says Duong, a fourth-year biological sciences major.

In advocating oral health, members of the Anteater Smile Project regularly create and distribute dental hygiene kits to the unsheltered. They also raise money for long-term projects like surgeries. One of their most recent successes, Campos and Duong note, has been funding the repair of a child’s cleft lip through Operation Smile, a nonprofit dedicated to such surgery and comprehensive care.

“It’s a beautiful thing to give back – to realize that we can contribute to something greater and see the impact our involvement has on the community,” says Campos, a third-year biological sciences student.

The Anteater Smile Project also participates in civic engagement projects related to overall health and wellness like volunteering at local food banks or crafting items to donate. Members have made beanies and friendship bracelets for hospitalized children as well as blankets, which are distributed to youngsters in need through the nonprofit Project Linus. These activities not only allow Anteaters to give back but foster community among the students themselves as they collaborate on them.

Despite members’ dedication, the co-presidents say, the Anteater Smile Project is limited in its ability to raise sufficient funds for these volunteer events. However, as the group grows, so does its scope.

“It’s the nature of our club to want to uplift and support others. We’re here because we want to be,” Duong says.

When asked about their aspirations for the Anteater Smile Project, the two leaders emphasize that so long as there are humans in need, there is work to be done.

“We hope that we can leave a little something within the people we interact with,” Campos says. “Even if it’s just the elementary school students remembering, ‘It’s important to brush my teeth after eating candy,’ that legacy is enough for us – that we are able to encourage children and adults alike to safeguard their health.”