An oral health educator whose son inspired her to launch a book is in the running for a national entrepreneur award.

Happy Teeth Education founder and creator of ‘George and the Happy Tooth’, Katie Dullaghan, is tipped to win the prestigious Health and Wellbeing Entrepreneur of the Year award at this year’s Great British Entrepreneur Awards.

Since launching a collection of resources called ‘George and the Happy Tooth’ earlier this year, accompanied by a fun and educational children’s book of the same name, Happy Teeth Education has gone from strength to strength.

It earned recognition from the Oral Health Foundation and the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry as an important source of educational content for promoting better oral health in children.

Its founder, Katie Dullaghan, knows first-hand the issues that today’s children are coming up against when it comes to oral health.

A dental health expert and parent to a young son, George, who inspired the ‘George and the Happy Tooth’ book, Katie has worked in the dentistry profession for over 15 years and has seen her fair share of severe childhood decay cases.

“We were seeing children coming into the emergency dental service with pain and swelling, often requiring teeth to be taken out at only two years old,” Dullaghan explains. “Their parents were shocked and just didn’t understand the cause of the decay in their children’s mouths. It was this that inspired Happy Teeth Education – I advocate that decay is 100% preventable, and my resources are based on preventative measures.”

‘George and the Happy Tooth’ follows the story of 5-year-old George as he loses his first tooth. The book, which includes learning activities and a complete parent guide to helping children practice good oral hygiene, proved to be hugely engaging for families, prompting Dullaghan to create a series of resources that follow the same theme and characters. “The characters I had created really resonated with young people, and I wanted them to be able to recognise the same illustrations in different settings – at home, at school and in dentist practices,” says Dullaghan.

So, what’s next for Happy Teeth Education? A second book, due to be released in September, will follow George on a trip to the dentist, with plenty of sensory elements to support children with additional needs. Dullaghan also plans to implement her resources into schools and dental practices across the UK, empowering children and adults alike with accessible dental health education. Her products to follow to aid in childhood dental care are due to be released January 2021.

“We are facing more advertising for high-sugar snacks targeted at children than ever, whether that’s on television, social media or streaming services like YouTube,” Dullaghan concludes. “With the added strain of life in lockdown and dental practices closed, parents will have found it more difficult than ever to help their children look after their teeth. I hope that Happy Teeth will bridge that gap for many families by providing a highly engaging, inclusive way to learn the basics of oral health in the classroom, at the dentist surgery or at home.”

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