Dentist and Oral Hygiene

     Practicing good oral hygiene is important for your overall health and is something we do here at SMART START.   February is  National Children's Dental Health Month.  We are strong advocates for instilling life skills and teaching proper self-care  to our students.  Our oral hygiene units were a huge success . We encompassed a wide variety of learning and hand-on activities, as well as on-site field trips with Andover Pediatric Dentistry.

     

     SMART START learners were excited to kick off National Children's Dental Health Month at school.  During circle time we read various books about the dentist, good eating habits to protect your teeth, brushing your teeth and overall good oral hygiene.    They asked intelligent questions about the subject matter and everyone took a turn informing the group about the color of their toothbrush, toothpaste flavor and teeth brushing songs .  Most students shared that they brushed their teeth twice a day with a grownup's assistance and then finished on their own.  Here's a fun song that some of our friends sing while brushing their teeth at home:

Brush, brush, brush your teeth

Each and every day

Up and down

And side to side

That's the  (child's name) way!

     Busy readers enjoyed reading books on their own and with friends.  Dentist puppets and figurines were incorporated into story times and dramatic play.  What a fun introduction to our dentist and oral hygiene learning unit!  Keep up the good brushing!

    SMART START dentists suited up in their lab coats, gloves and masks and began seeing their patients bright and early.  The dolls were fabulous patients and sat contently in the dental chairs as SMART START dentists provided them with a proper teeth cleaning and dental exam.  The children loved playing the part of a dentist and took this job very seriously.  Pupils have acquired a lot of new information during circle time and were delighted to put their knowledge and skills to good use.  This was a wonderful hands-on learning activity because not only did it provide students with the opportunity to apply what they have been learning, it helped build confidence and reassure them that visiting the dentist is a pleasurable experience that keeps them healthy and smiling.  

     Larger than life mouth models accompanied our oral hygiene lesson.  Classmates continued to work on these realistic models to get a better feel for proper brushing and flossing.  They also used the dental mirror to get a closer look at all the teeth from a variety of angles.        Preschoolers continued to learn about the names of all the teeth, plaque and cavities.  Using the larger than life mouth models allowed them to get an up close and personal and look at each tooth and practice identifying each type.  They were able to see where and how both plaque and cavities form and learned techniques and treatment to care for these problems.

       Martha from Andover pediatric Dentistry visited SMART START  both last and this year for on-site field trips!  Preschoolers put their SMART START t-shirts on and anxiously awaited her arrival.  After participating in many on-site field trips our group knows what behavior is expected and continue to impress all with their listening skills and good behavior.      Martha was happy to see so many smiling faces that have been learning all about dentistry and practicing good oral hygiene.       Both field trips were interactive hands-on learning experiences for our young learners.  Martha taught them all about the proper way to brush their teeth and floss, what to eat and not eat for a healthy mouth, what cavities and plaque are and how to avoid them.  As always, enthusiastic friends provided great commentary on their oral hygiene habits, along with asking many intelligent and appropriate questions.  We are so proud of our preschoolers when they exhibit superior listening skills and can really benefit what the on-site field trip program has to offer.   When Martha came to visit she brought  bags of food props, games and special prizes for everyone.  Fun was had by all! SMART START singers learned new songs about oral hygiene and happily sang along with  Oh what fun!      The children loved their gift bags from Andover Pediatric Dentistry.  The items in the bag included a new toothbrush and tube of toothpaste for school and home , flossers, stickers and an educational coloring book.  
Eating Healthy, What Teeth Do and Toothbrush and Toothpaste!

Field Trip Fun!

2018

Healthy Foods = Healthy Teeth!

Educational coloring books from Andover Pediatric Dentistry!

                                                               
                                                                    2019 

     We are very thankful that Andover Pediatric Dentistry takes time each year out of their busy
schedule to visit the children here at SMART START!  A perfect way to wrap up our oral hygiene units and celebrate National Children's Dental Month!

Lastly, we want to thank all of our families for continuning to support our on-site field trip program that allows us to provide enriching and educational experiences for your child(ren)!

💙 Mary and Francesca 💙