1. Disclose invisible plaque.
Mix three or four drops of red food color with a few tablespoons of water in a paper cup. Ask a volunteer to swish the colored water around in his/her mouth for ten seconds and carefully spit it out into a second cup or nearby sink. Have the volunteer look in a magnifying mirror and identify the red areas indicating plaque. Ask the volunteer to brush their teeth with toothpaste and a new toothbrush. Then repeat the disclosing procedure. See how much of the plaque is gone and discuss the areas where plaque hides.
2.Perform a flossing demonstration.
Discuss dental floss and flossing with children. Show them floss, then have two students demonstrate flossing using yarn. One child holds hands together with fingers straight up and tight against each other. These are the teeth. The other child uses yarn to floss between the fingers. A variation is to smear tempera paint representing plaque between the fingers of the child representing the teeth. In this way, the children will see the floss cleaning between the teeth. You may also want to set up a computer to show the flossing animation in our Animations & Games area on ADA.org.
3. Discuss the importance of eating healthy foods.
Show a food guide pyramid chart to children. Explain/review the food groups and why each is important for healthy bodies and teeth. List the five main food groups on a chalkboard or easel (grain, fruit, vegetable, milk, and meat). Have children discuss some of their favorite foods and write them under the appropriate group. Bring enough healthy snacks to share with children and ask them to identify its food group. Free reproducible food guide pyramids for children are available on the United States Department of Agriculture’s Web site: http://www.mypyramid.gov/kids/index.html
4. Demonstrate how dental sealants protect chewing surfaces of teeth.
Assemble: two antacid tablets, vinegar, two small paper cups and a small piece of plastic wrap. This is a test to see how the plastic coating (dental sealant) protects a pretend tooth (antacid tablet) from the vinegar acid (plaque plus sugar). Wrap one antacid tablet in plastic wrap; leave the other tablet unwrapped. Place each tablet in a separate paper cup. Cover both with vinegar. Wait five minutes and pour off the vinegar. The acid in the vinegar has begun to dissolve the unwrapped antacid tablet (tooth without dental sealant). Unwrap the plastic from the other antacid tablet. The plastic wrap protected it from the acid, just like a dental sealant.
5. Set up an oral health display or bulletin board in your school or community center.
Bring supplies and have children help you set up an oral health display that can be kept on exhibit for a few months. Use posters, simple dental messages, photos of children receiving dental health checkups, dental equipment, dental care products, photographs of healthy foods and models or charts of the mouth for educational displays.
6. Prepare a brief oral health article for your school newsletter or web site.
Ask children to name ways to clean teeth and gums (Brushing and flossing).
Take an apple and make a hole one-inch deep in it. Put it in a paper bag and set aside for a few days. Cut through the place where the hole was made and have the children look at the effect of decay. This shows how decay spreads through a tooth. Explain while oral hygiene (brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and flossing once a day) is important.
Have children name three things teeth do: Teeth are important for speaking, eating and smiling. If you didn’t have any teeth, it wouldn’t be easy to say teeth, toys or toothbrush. It would be hard to sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star without teeth.
Name some things you do that keep your body healthy. There are daily health habits that everyone needs to practice, such as eating a proper diet, exercising, bathing and sleeping. Caring for your mouth is as important as caring for the rest of your body. Cleaning teeth and gums removes a sticky film of plaque. Plaque contains harmful bacteria that can cause tooth decay.
Have children say the alphabet and tell which sounds are made by using the teeth, tongue and lips.
Ask children to make a list of what foods can be eaten without teeth and what foods must be chewed. Without teeth you couldn’t chew crunchy foods like carrots, nuts or apples.
Discuss "baby" teeth. Some teeth are supposed to come out. They are called the "baby" teeth or "primary" teeth. After a baby tooth comes out, another tooth will come in. This new tooth must last for many, many years. You must take extra special care by brushing each day. (See also: Eruption Charts: Primary Teeth and Permanent Teeth)
Have children raise their hand if they had a tooth that fell out. Ask one or two children to describe what it feels like without the tooth.
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