Dental Health Project Ideas

• I got a wipe-off board at a local craft store for $5. With a black permanent marker, I drew a big smile with teeth. Then over the mouth, I wrote with the permanent marker, "ERASE AWAY PLAQUE 2 TIMES A DAY". With a red wipe-off marker, I drew on the teeth to symbolize disclosing solution. With a brush (not a toothbrush, a wipe-off brush) I erased the red marker in a circular motion for the kids to see. I told them to think of brushing their teeth everyday like you were erasing the plaque with an eraser but just using their toothbrushes and that you have to get every part of the tooth erased.
• A great friend had made up her own felt board story and made up a book to go along with the story for the kids to read. She made characters out of felt and put them up on the board during parts of the story. The kids LOVED it. They could watch her put the characters up while she was reading and also could read along themselves as she read to them. They could also color the story in their books when she was done. It was the best project I ever saw and the kids responded well to it.
• Girl Scout troops can earn a badge for careers. I did a project with them. I taught them brushing on the level that we saw and then made up posters of what a dental hygienist does. You can explain what a dental hygienist does during an appointment, what the hygienist does to help the dentist out. You can bring in some instruments or XCP kits to help them visualize things. You can bring films in for them to see the things to help take xrays, etc.
• From Nicole in NJ:
  • In dental health ed I did a project on Tongue Cleaning. I called Sakool products ( they have a web page too I believe- just type tongue cleaners and the computer will search it) and they sent me samples plus literature on the product. Not only was this project easy but no one else thought of it and it worked on adults and children alike, because people always ask about tongue cleaning and we all know the benefits of it so that was my topic. Hope this helps. Nicole
• From Roxann Shaw: For my project, I discussed to expectant parents about oral hygiene for their infant, the toddler and preschooler, as well as baby bottle decay. I used poster boards and took pictures of my son's teeth undisclosed and than disclosed to show plaque formation on primary teeth. (Often, parents feel that baby teeth aren't like adult), than I explained the decay process with poster board of my son drinking from a bottle and did a flow chart of how teeth start to decay. After I explained the decay process, I made a poster board of pictures of the different stages of baby bottle mouth (I enlarged these pictures). Finally, for a demonstration on how to clean the oral cavity of an infant, I got a doll (may be provided by a hospital birthing class) to show how to properly clean an infant's oral cavity. I also provided a colored pictured that I copied to show the parent's how baby teeth hold the space for it's adult predecessor.
• From Stephanie:
  I did an oral presentation at an elementary school on Smoking Cigarettes - Chewing Tobacco and its effects on oral health and general health. I got this "Recipe For A Cigarette" from the American Heart Association. It really made the students go crazy. I probably should have passed it out.. after my oral presentation. You'll see why... enjoy!
  
  A Recipe For A Cigarette
  Acetone (Nail Polish Remover, Paint Stripper)
  Acetic Acid (Vinegar)
  Ammonia (Floor and Toilet Cleaner)
  Arsenic (Poison)
  Butane (Cigarette Lighter Fluid)
  Cadmium (Rechargeable Batteries)
  Carbon Monoxide (Car Exhaust Fumes)
  Nicotine and DDT/Dieldrin (Insecticides)
  Ethanol (Alcohol)
  Formaldehyde (Body, Tissue and Fabric Preserver)
  Hexamine (Barbecue Lighter)
  Hydrogen Cyanide (Gas Chamber Poison)
  Methane (Swamp Gas)
  Methanol (Rocket Fuel)
  Napthalene (Mothballs)
  Nitrobenzene (Gasoline Additive)
  Nitrous Oxide Phenols (Disinfectant)
  Stearic Acid (Candle Wax)
  Toluene (Industrial Solvent)
  Vinyl Chloride (Makes PVC)
  
• My name is Judi. I've lived and practiced hygiene in Israel for the last 26 years. I did hygiene education in a kindergarten of Ethiopian children. The week before I took a white dinner plate after using it and let the food dry on it. The next day I put more food on it (avocado is good because it turns green and black when it dries and looks really gross). For the next few days I would rub various foodstuffs on the plate and let it dry up. By the end of the week the plate looked really grungy. I took this plate and another clean white dinner plate to show the kids. I asked them which plate they preferred and how they would prefer their mouth to look. I explained that after each meal food collects on our teeth in addition to plaque and that it continues to build up every day if we don't brush. The kids loved the demonstration and I feel it was very effective.
• http://www.schoolcrafts.net