Grades: preschool to 1 Happy Healthy Teeth - A Story About Leo The Lion

Why do we need our teeth? Eating: To chew our food. That’s an easy one! Can you imagine trying to eat an apple, carrot or a hamburger without teeth? It would be pretty hard, wouldn’t it?

Why do we need our teeth? Talking If we didn’t have teeth, we wouldn’t have any place to put our lips and tongue when we try to make words. Some of you may be missing your two front teeth now and you know how hard it is to make an “s” or “th” sound!

Why do we need our teeth? Smiling Smiling makes us look good and feel good!

Why are your baby teeth important? They are SPACE SAVERS; like saving your friend a seat at the movies!

How many teeth do you have to keep healthy? Let’s count them together…

Kids your age will have 20 teeth by now. When you get older like your Mom & Dad- you will lose your baby teeth and get 32 permanent teeth. Wow! That’s a lot of teeth to brush!

Now let’s read a story about Leo the Lion…

Leo the Lion King of the Jungle

Away in the jungle, far off in the East, lives Leo the Lion, the king of the beasts. The king of the beasts? Why that’s really not true. He’s just a sad, old lion, and a grumpy one too!

Once long, long ago, many years or more, this lord of the jungle would growl and he’d roar. He’d frighten the beasts, and the birds on the trees, but really he did it, only to tease.

A happier lion you could never find, with a smile on his face and fun on his mind. He was big, he was rough, and his laugh was a roar that could be heard through the jungle, for ten miles or more. He was king of the jungle and a happy, proud fellow.

Why doesn’t he smile? Why is his temper so bad? Why is it that he isn’t king any more? Why is it that he doesn’t laugh with a roar? Then why is it now that the king is so sad?

I’ll tell you the reason, now please don’t forget, that Leo the Lion could still be king yet. He could rollick and frolic, he could tease, he could smile. He could laugh with a roar that could be heard for a mile. He could frighten the birds in the trees and the beasts down beneath…

But Leo Lion has lost all his teeth!!! Lost all his teeth??? What a sad fate for a king. Not to be able to smile or to sing. Not to be able to laugh or to roar, and not to be king or to rule anymore.

For who’d be afraid of a toothless old beast, who’d have to eat oatmeal when he wanted a feast? And who would bow down if a king couldn’t bite, and only dared roar in the dark of the night? Why, no one you see. So Leo the Lion lives unhappily. The loss of his teeth, though it seems not quite fair, if he’d been a wise lion, they would still be there.

Leo the Lion simply loved to eat candy. He didn’t like his carrots but thought pie was just dandy. He’d fill up on cake and drink lots of pop too! And when it came to mealtime, he’d be too full to chew. He’d play with his plate, just pretending to eat, and leave all of his salad and spinach and meat.

Now to make matters worse, he was in such a rush to get into his bed, that he just didn’t brush!

So day after day, and night after night, his teeth just got yellowier instead of snow white. Then into his mouth sneaked Mr. Decay, who’d softened his teeth, until they just melted away. Now the pain of a hole in your tooth can be sad. And the loss of their teeth would make anyone crabby and mad.

So to save all your teeth, and to keep your smile bright, remember Leo the Lion… and brush every night!

Don’t drink lots of pop, or eat candy and cake. Visit your dentist before you get an ache. Brush after each meal and before sleeping at night. If a tooth is to stay healthy, it must be kept white. Don’t lose your bright smile and be sorry and sad. Just brush and eat healthy to keep your teeth and be glad!

What happened to Leo’s teeth? Why did they fall out?

Here’s what Leo could have done to keep his teeth from falling out… Brush his teeth to remove plaque. Brush his teeth to remove plaque. What is plaque? It is a sticky film of bacteria that is always growing on your teeth. It is a sticky film of bacteria that is always growing on your teeth. It is filled with millions and millions of decay germs. It is filled with millions and millions of decay germs. Decay germs cause cavities in your teeth. Decay germs cause cavities in your teeth.

When should you brush your teeth? After eating After eating At bedtime At bedtime

What else could Leo have done to keep his teeth? Eat better foods! Plaque + Sugary Foods = Decay + =

Healthy Snacks

Unhealthy Snacks

A Visit to the Dentist Your Dentist is a friendly doctor who will help your teeth stay healthy and strong The Dentist will check your teeth with a “feeler” tool and mirror The Dentist will check your teeth with a “feeler” tool and mirror Someone on the dental team might shine up your teeth with special tools and cleaners Someone on the dental team might shine up your teeth with special tools and cleaners The Dentist will check your mouth for many things- can you name some of the things he is looking for? The Dentist will check your mouth for many things- can you name some of the things he is looking for?

Can you remember why we need our teeth? Our teeth are important because they help us talk properly, chew our food and give us beautiful smiles!

What can we do to have healthy teeth? Brush Brush Eat good foods Eat good foods Visit your Dentist Visit your Dentist

For more information on oral health see the Nova Scotia Dental Association Website This presentation has been adapted and used with permission from the Dental Health Program developed by the Clay County Public Health Center. Remember, your teeth are a special part of your body and help you eat, talk and smile. Thank you for listening and keep brushing!