SPREAD THE SMILE Volunteer Tutorial

WHAT IS SPREAD THE SMILE? DDS volunteer opportunity for all members We visit local elementary schools weekly to educate kids about oral health, hygiene and nutrition Typically Thursday or Friday mornings at 8 am (lasts about an hour), meet outside the Dental School to carpool

SSC FORMAT DDS members break into 4 stations and rotate every 10 minutes Cavity Station Dental Anatomy Station How to Brush and Floss Nutrition Station After rotations, DDS members quiz kids on lesson material and award prizes for correct answers!

CAVITY STATION Ask if anyone has ever had a cavity What does it feel like? Is it fun? NOOO we want to keep our teeth healthy to avoid cavities! What is a cavity? How do we get cavities? explain how cavity forms using plaque poster How does the dentist fix a cavity? How can we can prevent cavities? REVIEW for quiz…some examples: What eats away at your teeth and causes a cavity? Bacteria, little bugs What is the yellow stuff that builds up on our teeth? Plaque (older kids spell)

DENTAL ANATOMY STATION Explain 2 sets of teeth Deciduous (Baby teeth) and Permanent (Adult teeth) How many baby teeth do we have? (20) Adult? (32) Using Typodont model, ask kids to identify upper and lower teeth Ask kids to feel the rough part in the roof of their mouth palate 4 different types of teeth (point out on Typodont) Incisors Canines Premolars Molars REVIEW for quiz…some examples: How many adult/baby teeth? 20/32 What is the rough part in the roof of your mouth called? Palate Quiz on identifying upper, lower, name one of the four types of teeth, etc

HOW TO BRUSH AND FLOSS How many times a day should we brush our teeth? When? Why is it important to brush our teeth? Demonstrate proper brushing technique using model Demonstrate proper flossing technique Give kids a chance to try! REVIEW for quiz…some examples: How many times a day should we brush? At least 2! Should we floss before or after we brush? Before What shape do we use to brush our teeth? Circles

NUTRITION STATION Explain that what you eat affects your health AND your teeth! What are some healthy foods for us to eat? What kinds of fruits/vegetables do they like to eat? What foods are bad for us and why? Go over food pyramid REVIEW for quiz What is the nutrient in milk that gives us strong teeth and bones? Calcium What is the nutrient in meat that gives us strong muscles? Protein What is bread an example of? Carbohydrate/grain group

TIPS FOR SPREAD THE SMILE Ask OPEN-ENDED questions…get the kids talking and participating! Avoid lecturing/over-explaining, keep it simple Praise the kids for good participation At the beginning of each station, have the kids introduce themselves and try to call them by name during the station SMILE SMILE SMILE! Body language is key…if you are animated and having fun, they will have fun too!