2005-2006 Smile Savers Program-Yolo County
*Best Oral Health Education Lesson
This lesson is intended for presentations to pre-schools thru 2nd grade classes. Every class has responded overwhelmingly positively and the children were disappointed to end the lesson…a great way to keep their enthusiasm going.
Visit to the Dentist
Purpose: 1) To expose children to dental personnel, dental products, instruments and procedures that they may encounter in a dental office.
2) To alleviate fear of going to a dental office.
3) To create more cooperative dental patients.
4) To inform children of the need for yearly dental visits and eliminate the “mystery” of a dental office.
Presentation:
The dental educator begins a dialog with the children who are seated on a carpet. The educator shows several posters of a dental office; one shows a friendly looking dentist smiling, one shows a boy getting x-rays taken, another shows a dental hygienist cleaning a lady’s teeth. Each poster is explained and children’s comments are welcome.
The presenter then asks for two volunteers; one to “play the dentist,” the other to “play the patient”. Two children are chosen to help out with the lesson. The “dentist” is now referred to as “Doctor Child’s name”. The “patient” is seated facing the class. “Dr. Child’s name” is then dressed in the proper dental attire common in many dental clinics; a disposable gown, a hair cover, mask, gloves and eye shield. Each protective item is discussed as the dentist is dressed. The “dentist” is asked to affix a patient napkin with an alligator clip around the patient.
Then, the presenter has a bag of dental items and shows them one by one. This age group loves to touch, smell, see and hear the sounds of the dental office. All senses but taste are incorporated into the lesson for more interest and better lesson retention. These items are pulled from the bag and their purpose is explained:
Cotton rolls, x-ray packet with tab, plastic mouth mirror, saliva ejector tip, air/water syringe tip, Styrofoam fluoride tray.
The prophy angle is shown and the educator explains that it is for polishing teeth and that it makes a “wh-r-r-r-r” noise. The individual prophy packet paste is shown in mint and raspberry. The top is opened and the educator passes it under the noses of each child to smell. When the x-ray packet is shown, it is explained that a big camera will take pictures of the inside of their teeth. The camera will have a “B-z-z-z-z” sound while a picture is being taken.
The explorer is then brought out but never passed around. It is explained that it is sharp, but doesn’t hurt. The teeth are hard and cannot feel the sharpness, much like a finger nail. The presenter asks if children want to “test” the explorer on their fingernail and the presenter only touches the explorer to the thumbnail of children who express their desire by raising their hand.
Then, it is explained that sometimes the dentist needs to put a tooth “to sleep” in order to fix it without being felt. A “shot” might be necessary but it only “pinches” for a split second. The presenter then pinches the top side of her hand for a brief instant and asks if any of the children want to feel the pinch. Several usually raise their hands and the presenter briefly pinches their hand to simulate a quick needle prick.
The presenter expresses how fortunate we are to live in a day and age where we have medicine to put our teeth to sleep so that there will be no pain during treatments. A pen lite is given to the “dentist” and he/she asks the patient to open wide while shining in a light. Then the dentist is instructed to “examen” any other child with a wide open mouth. It is explained that “opening wide” is necessary for dental treatment.
Children invariably all want to play dentist next. At least they are enthused about the lesson even if each cannot play dentist in the time allotted.
Results:
Several children who have experienced this lesson have made appointments in our local clinics for their first dental visit. Preparing them in this way seems to create great little patients!