Tooth be told, taking care of our mouths is important! February is National Children’s Dental Health Month (NCDHM) - the perfect time for local dentist Dr. Se-A Chung to stop by George Grant Mason Elementary and help the Pre-K, Kindergarten and first grade classes “brush up” on oral hygiene.
Speech Therapist Ms. Bussard, who arranged the visit, is always stressing the importance of oral hygiene because of “how important our tongue, lips, and teeth are in order for us to speak!” Our youngest learners had no problem speaking this morning when Dr. Chung asked them why we need our teeth. In between students showing off their own wiggly bicuspids; “to chew,” “to smile,” and “to talk” were some of the answers shouted Dr. Chung’s way.
Ms. Cristina, Dr. Chung’s assistant at Alpha & Omega Dental, then “filled” students in on the importance of brushing at least twice a day for two minutes! So how do you know if you are brushing long enough? By using a timer! Every student of the three classrooms received one as part of dental goody bag that includes a toothbrush, toothpaste and dental floss. To make sure our young learners know how to use utilize every instrument in their newly acquired oral hygiene toolkits, Ms. Cristina demonstrated proper brushing and flossing techniques using a large mouth model (after turning over the timer of course).
Other terms touched on during the tooth talk included mouth guards, flouride and plaque. Ms. Cristina explained to the classes how plaque builds after we eat sugary foods like chocolate and donuts. And those are okay, we just need to brush after. Because if we don’t, said one pre-k student, “we will be left with a mouth of yellow teeth.”
Ain’t that the tooth. Thank you Dr. Chung and Ms. Cristina for being generous with their time, knowledge, and toothbrushes!
