Once again, February brought National Children’s Dental Health Month. In order to support this worthy campaign, the Dental Assistant students from Ross Medical Education Center in Evansville, Indiana went to visit kindergarten students at Vogel Elementary School. While there, they had the opportunity to teach the children about the importance of proper oral hygiene. This is an annual event that Dental Assistant students all across Ross look forward to because it give them a chance to practice their skills, share about them, and make a positive impact on the next generation.
During their presentation, they handed out Ross toothbrushes, toothpaste, and floss and then demonstrated how to properly use each one of them. They also led the activities that they had worked hard to plan beforehand. Some of these fun things included flossing with yarn and egg crates and an activity that focused on brushing away all the “sugar bugs”! The children were excited to participate in the activities that the students had prepared. The end of their time was the most exciting; the students loved getting a surprise visit from Brittany the Tooth Fairy! They couldn’t believe their eyes when “Flossie” walked in!
According to the Dental Assistant students, the trip was a huge success! They also were surprised that it was not only a learning experience for the children, but also ended up being a great learning opportunity for them. Throughout the process, they got to learn how to interact with young children and put their skills to the test when the kids asked questions. Their main goals in going to the school were to teach some basic dental hygiene skills, reinforce those that the children already knew, and ease some of the anxiety that many students feel when they are on a trip to the dentist. All of the children seemed very excited for their next dentist appointment, so the Ross students felt that their trip was a success!