More Dental Health Fun

Here are just a few other things to share this week regarding dental health.

We painted with a toothbrush.  The children took a yellow tooth shape and painted it at the easel using a toothbrush and white paint.  You can add a few drops of mint extract to the paint to make it smell like toothpaste.  It makes the whole classroom smell good and the children get even more of a sensory experience.

Of course there are also so many great books to read. Here are a few of the books we read this week.

I Know Why I Brush My Teeth is a book for older children in pre-k and is a discussion between a mother and her son while he is getting ready for bed.  It talks about the parts of a tooth, the names of the different teeth, what makes plaque, going to the dentist and cavities.  It's very educational and my class was very attentive and receptive.

Tooth Trouble by Jane Clark is another book the class really enjoyed reading.  I have that book in big book form and somehow that always captures their attention too.  This story is about a little walrus who has a toothache. The little walrus can't do anything that walrus' are good at because they use their teeth for almost everything but he refuses to go to the dentist.  His mind is changed when he visits his grandpa and sees the old walrus' broken tusks and finds out that grandpa never wanted to go to the dentist either. 

The other books in th photo are good too and explore different aspects of seeing the dentist.  Reading books is a great way to relieve a child's fear of the unknown. 

I'd love to hear about your dental health ideas.