Smile Squared Donates Toothbrushes to Children in NeedA buy-one-give-one program brightens the smiles of kids in living in poverty around the world.

While working at a Guatemalan dental clinic in 2010, Eric and Geri Cope were struck by the number of local children who couldn't afford an everyday item most of us take for granted: a toothbrush. "That small basic necessity on our part was truly, with these kids, a luxury," Eric says.

Toothbrushes help counteract serious health issues, including oral cancer; some studies have even linked periodontal disease to conditions such as heart disease and stroke. Determined to help kids avoid such problems, in 2011 the married couple foundedSmile Squared, a St. Louis-based company that donates one toothbrush to a child for every one purchased.