ALL ABOARD THE SMILE TRAIN!
World Smile Day® and National Orthodontic Health Month

Getting braces is a symbolic rite of passage for many preteens and teens.  It’s an exciting time, albeit an uncomfortable and expensive one.  There is something so cute about a big tin grin although never having had braces myself I have to imagine the novelty wears off pretty quickly.  But such a great payoff when the big day arrives, time for the reveal – a perfect, pearly white smile – tah dah!

We love to send cards to our kids’ friends to celebrate their big event!  It’s a big deal for them.

Achieving a perfect and healthy smile is very important to many Americans.  You’ll notice if you travel the world that it is not as important, available, or affordable in other countries.  And in developing countries where even the most basic of healthcare is not available or affordable there are millions of children who cannot smile – cleft lips and palates are some of the most common birth defects.

Smile Train is an amazing charity that helps children born with cleft lip and palate achieve better health and gives them back the precious gift of their smile, and with it another chance at life.  Their vision:  Every child born with a cleft anywhere in the world has the opportunity to live a full, productive life.

According to Smile Train, over 170,000 children are born each year with a cleft lip or palate.  Most cannot eat or speak properly.  They aren’t allowed to attend school or hold a job.  And face very difficult lives filled with shame and isolation, pain and heartache. Their clefts usually go untreated because they are poor – too poor to pay for a simple surgery that has been around for decades – a surgery that costs $250 and takes as little as 45 minutes.

We ask our own children when they are little, “what do you want to be when you grow up?”.  Might some of these children’s wishes simply be “when I grow up I want to be able to smile?”

For the month of October, in celebration of National Orthodontic Health Month and as a World Smile Day® Ambassador, Greeting Card Universe will be donating 100% of profits from the sales of cards in these select collections to Smile Train –

Congratulations on Losing a Tooth

Congratulations on Getting your Braces On / Off

So let’s celebrate the joy of a healthy smile today and all month long!

What Are People Saying About Greeting Card Universe?
“I buy all my cards here. Fast delivery and a wide selection of cards. Was delighted to find cards in different languages and for every occasion. Definately recommended !” – Maureen, October 3, 2012