Do You Remember Toothwars on My Last Visit?

Brushing/Flossing/Nutrition (An outline for Dental Clinic Education Center volunteers)

Why are our teeth important?  We need them to chew our food  It’s difficult to talk without teeth  Our smile wouldn’t look nice without teeth

What can happen to our teeth if we don’t take care of them?  Tooth decay (cavities)  Bleeding gums

What causes cavities? (Chain of decay & gum disease)  Plaque + food = Acid Acid left on teeth = tooth decay/cavities

Explain how plaque makes acid – Plaque digests food that is left in your mouth and deposits the waste product (acid) on your teeth. That acid is what burns a hole into your tooth, causing tooth decay/cavities. An acid attack happens after you eat food (whether the foods are sugary or not). An acid attack happens as many times a day as you eat or snack. This is why it is important to brush our teeth after each time we eat, rather than just twice a day.

Show cavities using the tooth model – If we do not clean in-between our teeth, we can get cavities and gum disease.

Does anyone know the name for the beginning stage of gum disease?  Gingivitis. (show gum disease pictures)

What is an early sign of gingivitis?  Bleeding gums.  If gingivitis is allowed to progress, it can turn into a more serious form of gum disease called periodontal disease. 2

Brushing Review: Let’s review the proper way to brush your teeth

How many times a day should you brush your teeth?  After every meal – at least three times a day.

Do you use toothpaste every time you brush?  No, you should dry brush once a day.

How long should you brush each time you brush your teeth?  Three minutes (timer in Smiles Kit is 2 minutes)

How can you slow down when brushing?  Count to ten for each area of your mouth.

What kind of brush stroke should you make?  Circles

What does fluoride do for your teeth?  Makes them stronger/harder.

Flossing Lesson

How many of you use dental floss now? Raise your hands.

How many times a day should you use dental floss?  At least once a day.

What is the best time of day to floss?  Before bed. Plaque does not sleep at night when you do. It’s busy making acid and having a cavity party in your mouth. 3 What can floss do for your teeth that your toothbrush cannot?  Clean in-between your teeth.

60% plus 40% = 100% clean!

Do you know when you brush your teeth you clean 60% of the tooth surface with the toothbrush and when you floss your teeth you clean 40% of the tooth surface. Do you want a tooth that is 60% clean, 40% clean or 100% clean?

What is the proper way to floss your teeth?  The goal of flossing is to remove food and plaque germs from the teeth. Be gentle with your mouth, do not press hard on your gums, or make a sawing motion, this can cut your gums. You may need to wiggle the floss a little to get between teeth that are very tight. Go all the way down under your gums (sulcus). Hug your tooth and come up. Scrape the tooth about 3-5 times. Go to the next tooth and use a clean section of the dental floss. Always begin in one corner of your mouth when you floss, like when you brush. It is important to follow a pattern when you floss, to avoid missing any teeth.

Demonstrate flossing  Ask for a volunteer to demonstrate flossing with the wooden teeth.  Pass out the floss and practice flossing with the children. Review sanitation rules (used floss in the trash).

Your gums may bleed a little when you first begin to floss. This is a sign that plaque has been hiding under the gum line. The more you floss the healthier your gums will become.

Homework

Now take this Smiles Kit home today. Brush your teeth after every meal and floss your teeth every night before you go to bed to avoid having a cavity party in your mouth all night long. 4

Nutrition (If time permits)

Another important way to help prevent cavities is to choose foods wisely, especially snacks, because they are usually eaten when a toothbrush is not available.

Can anyone tell me what I mean by nutritious foods?  Foods that are healthy for your body and that help you grow strong and healthy.

We use the food pyramid to help guide us in making healthy food choices. A healthy diet is high in fiber and low in sugar, fat, and salt. It includes a wide variety of foods from each of the food groups each day.

Review the Food Pyramid – read headings under each colored stripe  Choose lean protein foods such as fish, chicken and beans and non-fat or l% dairy foods.  Choose foods that are baked, steamed, or broiled rather than fried.  Choose fresh foods over processed foods whenever you can.  Choose fresh fruits and vegetables every day. Fresh fruits are healthier for your body and teeth. Fruits are a source of natural sugar.

Does anyone know what I mean by the term, “processed food”?  Cooking it, juicing it, making it into a fruit roll up is processing a fruit and it makes it more concentrated in sugar (increases the amount of sugar in the food) and stickier.  Remember, “Fresh Is Best!”

Can someone tell me what a balanced meal includes?  A balanced meal includes some foods from each of the food groups. For example: Chicken=protein group, Milk=Dairy group Rice=Grain group, Broccoli=Vegetable group, fruit salad=Fruit group.

(Use Velcro with plate and food models -- The foods that are not as healthy for your body or teeth are in the sugary foods plastic bin.)

I’ll start with a plate, and then I am going to take foods out of the pockets on Velcro or plastic bins. Tell me what foods you would select for a balanced meal.