On the morning of April 17th, 2025, members of the Minneapolis Uptown Rotary Club had the pleasure of touring the new facility of Ready, Set, Smile--a nonprofit dedicated to improving kids’ oral health through education and preventative care. Executive Director Tessa Trepp-Wetjen, MPA, and Dental Director (and Founder) Adele Della Torre, DDS, led the tour and shared more about the organization’s mission and hands-on approach in the community.
Ready, Set, Smile doesn’t just provide dental care--they make it fun and approachable for kids, helping to reduce fear of the dentist and build lifelong healthy habits. By focusing on education and early intervention, they drastically reduce future dental costs for families through this preventative care--reducing the chance that little problems becoming big ones.
Uptown Rotarians learned more about the essential dental services they provide directly to children--many of whom may not otherwise have access to care. Their holistic and community-based model includes:
In-School Dental Services – Cleanings, sealants, fluoride treatments, and referrals, all delivered right in the schools kids attend.
Oral Health Education – Teaching students, families, and educators how to build healthy oral hygiene habits that last.
Family and Community Engagement – Hosting events and working closely with caregivers to build trust and reinforce healthy routines at home.
Partner Referrals – Connecting kids with outside dental professionals when more advanced care is needed.
One of the highlights was learning about the “Dentistry Burrito” program--a creative, take-home bundle that wraps up dental essentials (toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, and more) in a fun, kid-friendly “burrito” package. It’s a simple and effective way to encourage children to keep up with their daily dental hygiene.
In addition to getting to see their brand-new, clean, fabulous facility, this visit gave Uptown Rotary a deeper understanding of the work Ready, Set, Smile is doing to eliminate oral health disparities and ideas for future support and collaboration.
Ready, Set, Smile's New Address:
3501 Aldrich Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55408
Learn more or get involved: www.readysetsmile.org