Smiles all around at The L.A. Trust Tooth Fairy Event

Learning about teeth with a fun puppet at the Tooth Fairy event

Around 10,000 students, their family members, and community supporters gathered on Saturday, February 14, at the Dodger Stadium for LAUSD’s “Move It!” Health and Wellness Festival and 5K. As a featured component of the event, The L.A. Trust’s Tooth Fairy brought oral health providers, community partners, and plenty of smiles to the celebration.

In recognition of National Children’s Dental Health Month, The L.A. Trust Tooth Fairy Event offered free dental screenings, oral health education, and giveaways for families. On the festival’s main stage, Senior Program Manager Esther Yepez alongside Senior Advisor Maryjane Puffer led the Tooth Fairy Pledge. They energized the crowd with an engaging and interactive message focused on oral health. They shared practical tips on maintaining healthy smiles and encouraged families to take advantage of the on-site free dental screenings coordinated by The L.A. Trust and provided by dedicated teams from South Central Family Health Center, Chinatown Service Center, and West Coast Dental. These partners donated their time and expertise to serve children and families and help connect them to follow up care when needed.

Leaders lead the Tooth Fairy Pledge on the main stage

The event’s impact went beyond dental screenings, with outreach and education playing a central role. “We were doing a lot of education, and there were a lot of families coming to the table,” said Esther Yepez. “It really turned into more of an educational opportunity, where we could talk to parents and kids about maintaining good oral health and answer their questions directly.”

Dental screenings in action at the festival

This year’s event continued the momentum of bringing families together in person and strengthening partnerships across the community. The L.A. Trust Tooth Fairy Event was supported by sponsors including Big Smiles, Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan, Delta Dental of California, DentaQuest, Health Net, L.A. Care Health Plan, LIBERTY Dental Plan, and Smile Dental Service.

As the event wrapped up, it was clear that caring for every smile strengthens the whole community. Through ongoing education, hands-on engagement, and strong partnerships, The L.A. Trust continues to bring essential oral health resources directly to the families who need them most.