---
title: "From Classrooms to the UN: Three Costa Rican Women Put Oral Health on the Global Stage"
description: Three Costa Rican women champion oral health, confidence and girls’ voices from classroom to UN—shaping youth advocacy for gender equality and wellbeing
author: Dr Marina Nani (Editor-in-Chief)
date: 2025-07-13T11:25:42.000Z
updated: 2026-02-26T22:05:15.017Z
canonical: https://richwoman.co/article/from-classrooms-to-the-un-three-costa-rican-women-put-oral-health-on-the-global-stage
image: https://cdn.nanimediahouse.com/6qt7cvsn6uc.jpg
categories: Philanthropic Minds
content_type: Profile
region: Costa Rica
publication: Rich Woman Magazine
---

The classroom falls silent as Priscilla Guerrero demonstrates proper brushing technique to a group of wide-eyed eight-year-olds in San José. She moves between the desks, adjusting tiny hands gripping toothbrushes, her voice patient and encouraging. For many of these children, this is their first formal lesson in oral hygiene. What they don’t know is that their teacher is about to take these same lessons to the most powerful stage in the world – the United Nations.

How does someone go from [helping children in local Costa Rican schools](https://richwoman.co/article/water-at-the-doorstep-how-clean-taps-are-changing-lives-and-nature-in-rural-malawi) to speaking at the UN? For Priscilla, along with her colleagues Camila Carmona and Tracy Guevara, the path has been paved with years of grassroots work in their communities, where they’ve witnessed firsthand how poor oral health affects girls’ confidence and school attendance.

## Three Voices, One Mission

Priscilla Guerrero, Camila Carmona and Tracy Guevara have just been named United Nations Youth Representatives by [Unspoken Smiles](https://unspokensmiles.org/), the oral health nonprofit that has been quietly changing children’s lives across Costa Rica and beyond. Their backgrounds span community outreach, education and public health – but what unites them is a shared understanding of how oral health shapes young people’s futures, particularly for girls.

Growing up in Costa Rica, all three women witnessed the ripple effects of untreated dental problems. They saw classmates miss school because of toothaches, watched friends cover their mouths when they laughed, and understood how something as basic as dental pain could derail a young person’s education. This lived experience now drives their advocacy work, giving them an authenticity that resonates in both local classrooms and international conference rooms.

Their Costa Rican upbringing has shaped their approach to health advocacy. In a country where [13% of girls in schools are pregnant or mothers](https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/girlseducation), and where access to healthcare varies dramatically between urban and rural areas, they’ve learned that health issues are rarely just medical problems – they’re social justice issues.

## Why Oral Health Matters More Than You Think

In Costa Rican schools, oral health isn’t just about preventing cavities. Research shows that [dental treatment in Costa Rican schoolchildren aged eight to 12 improved their oral health-related quality of life](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11797944/), particularly benefiting children from low-income families. The study found that improved oral hygiene was directly linked to enhanced self-esteem, confidence and school engagement.

For girls especially, oral health becomes tangled with issues of confidence and self-image during crucial developmental years. When a girl is embarrassed about her smile, she’s less likely to speak up in class, participate in group activities, or engage socially with peers. [Building children’s confidence](https://richwoman.co/article/teaching-kids-that-kindness-counts-tracy-drost-s-mission-as-mrs-illinois-america-2025) through health education creates barriers to learning and social development that can last a lifetime.

The impact of Unspoken Smiles’ work speaks to this reality. The organisation has already served over 10,000 schoolchildren across 10 countries, distributing more than 52,000 oral hygiene products and delivering education that goes far beyond brushing techniques. In Costa Rica, their programmes often work through local teachers and community health workers who understand the unique challenges girls face in maintaining oral health.

## Taking Costa Rican Voices Global

As UN Youth Representatives, Priscilla, Camila and Tracy will attend major UN events including the General Assembly, ECOSOC Youth Forum and High-Level Political Forum. They’ll advocate for including oral health in global health policies and Sustainable Development Goals, and lead efforts to build bridges between youth voices and global health institutions.

Their appointment highlights Costa Rica’s growing presence in global leadership on health, equity and youth empowerment. The three women understand that [women’s voices deserve acknowledgment](https://richwoman.co/article/a-fractured-world-is-the-gender-pay-gap-a-challenge-for-women-or-for-humanity) at the highest levels of international governance.

## The Gender Dimension of Oral Health

The three delegates will work to strengthen alliances with global agencies including [WHO](https://www.who.int/), [UNICEF](https://www.unicef.org/), UNFPA and [UN Women](https://www.unwomen.org/), helping ensure oral health is recognised as a cornerstone of health equity, gender equality and child well-being.

Girls in Costa Rica face particular barriers around health and self-esteem. Cultural norms may prioritise boys’ health needs, while girls often lack access to basic hygiene supplies or education about oral health. In Costa Rica, where [barriers to oral health for girls include limited access to dental hygiene supplies, insufficient knowledge, and cultural attitudes that deprioritise dental care](https://www.scielo.sa.cr/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2215-34112024000100100), addressing these challenges requires a multi-faceted approach.

When dental problems arise, they’re more likely to cause school absences and social withdrawal, creating a cycle that can impact academic performance and future opportunities. For many girls, the shame around dental problems becomes another reason to stay quiet, reinforcing patterns that [limit women’s potential](https://richwoman.co/article/challenging-the-status-quo-to-re-imagine-women-s-potential-a-battle-between-social-conditioni) from an early age.

## Beyond Perfect Smiles

What makes Priscilla, Camila and Tracy’s story so compelling isn’t that they started with perfect teeth or privileged backgrounds. Their power comes from understanding that small actions can have enormous ripple effects – that teaching a child to brush properly can build confidence, that distributing toothbrushes can improve school attendance, that listening to a young person’s concerns about their smile can change their entire trajectory.

You don’t need to be perfect or privileged to make a difference. You need to [care about the people around you](https://richwoman.co/article/i-am-because-we-are-global-youth-bring-compassion-to-life-in-south-africa), understand the problems they face, and be willing to start small while thinking big. The three women’s approach to advocacy is deeply rooted in their community work. They’ve learned that sustainable change happens when local voices are heard and respected, when solutions are developed with communities rather than imposed on them, and when young people are treated as partners rather than passive recipients of aid.

## Full Circle

Back in that San José classroom, one of the girls raises her hand. She wants to know if she can teach her little sister what she’s learned about brushing. Priscilla smiles, recognising the moment for what it is – the beginning of another advocate’s journey.

That girl may never know that her question came during a lesson delivered by someone who would soon be speaking at the UN. But she might remember that someone who looked like her, who spoke her language and understood her world, took her concerns seriously and gave her tools to help others. Like [other women using their voice for advocacy](https://richwoman.co/article/from-immigration-advocate-to-cannes-shirley-maia-cusick-s-journey-of-boundless-vision-and-uns), these three understand that the most powerful change often begins with the simplest acts of care.

Their journey from Costa Rican classrooms to UN conference rooms proves that the most important global conversations sometimes start in a local school.