One of her first stops was the Lakota Sioux tribe in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, one of the largest Native American reservations in the U.S. A 2011 study showed that 97% of adults on the reservation had untreated tooth decay and 68% had gum disease. Working with America’s ToothFairy: National Children’s Oral Health Foundation, Hyatt organized a “smile drive” to collect toothbrushes, toothpaste, and floss. She traveled to local schools in Pine Ridge to distribute the products and talk about oral health.
“It opened my eyes and made me realize that, even though we have tribes way out West and our tribe in North Carolina, they felt like family,” she says.
Hyatt continued her outreach efforts after her term as Miss Native American USA, often paying out of pocket to bring her ideas to life. Then, she came across the Dreamstarter Academy Grant offered by Running Strong for American Indian Youth. It provides financial support and mentorship for Native American youth with ideas to support their communities. Hyatt won a $10,000 Dreamstarter grant in 2017, which she used to continue working with America’s ToothFairy and visit even more tribes. She also worked with America’s ToothFairy to produce an oral health video geared toward Native American children. In it, Hyatt, the “Native ToothFairy,” wears her traditional clothing.
After working with Native American children across the U.S. — and having two sons of her own — Hyatt began to realize another need. Visiting the dentist is often scary for children. In addition, tribes in remote areas may not have easy access to the internet or libraries to learn more about oral health care. So, she wrote a children’s book, Shelby Goes to the Dentist, that walks through the steps of a dental appointment and encourages children to care for their teeth. Again, representation was important to Hyatt; the book features Native American children and illustrations by Cherokee artist Preston Bark.
Becoming a parent also made the struggles of instilling good oral health routines more personal. Her outreach now includes education for parents on the importance of dental care and how to make it more approachable to their children.
“Before I became a mom, when I worked in the dental clinic, if I saw a child come in with plaque all over their teeth, it was easy for me to get frustrated and think, ‘Why aren’t you helping your child brush their teeth?’” she says. “I would reference a textbook to give guidance and answers.
“Once I became a parent, it was completely different. There are so many challenges. And that’s one of the things I would like to work on in my outreach — tips and tricks [to make it easier for parents].”
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