Every February, Dental Assistant students across many Ross campuses visit their local elementary schools to educate children about dental hygiene. This year marked the 78th occasion of Children’s Dental Health Month, and students from multiple campuses went out to speak to children about the importance of taking care of their teeth.
The American Dental Association seeks to raise awareness about the importance of proper dental hygiene for children through the month-long event, and it makes the perfect occasion for Dental Assistant students to get out and provide knowledge for the children in a fun, informative way. It’s a great opportunity for the students to share the knowledge they’ve learned in the classroom and pass it onto the younger generation to ensure kids will grow up with proper dental hygiene.
At our Brighton, MI campus, Lead Dental Assistant Instructor, Christa Reich, arranged for students to visit the children at School Bell Early Childhood Education in Highland. During the students’ presentation, they showed the kids how to properly brush their teeth, played games, and handed out toothbrushes.
The Davison, MI students planned several games and activities for the children at Rainbow Child Care Center. The dental hygiene-related games included having the kids sort photos of food into baskets with either a happy tooth or a sad tooth on them to represent which foods are good for teeth and which ones are bad. At the end of the visit, the Tooth Fairy gave each child a toothbrush.
Flint, MI students visited Pinehurst Elementary with their own dental health games and demonstrations to help illustrate the importance of good oral hygiene. Ross students showed the kids how to floss using pipe cleaners and playdough to demonstrate. The children were shown the effects different sugary drinks have on teeth with eggs, and the kids had to try to brush the eggshells clean. Another fun game was Pin the Healthy Snack on the Tooth.
The Lansing, MI Dental Assistant students visited Looking Glass Child Development Center in Grand Ledge. Pamela Leski, Dental Assistant Instructor, took three groups of four students to the center to teach children about dental hygiene through fun presentations. Dental Assisting student Jasmine Ponze shared that the trip was a valuable experience for both the students and the kids: “[It] was a great opportunity to educate young minds on the importance of brushing and flossing your teeth.“
Children’s Dental Health Month provides Ross students with an excellent way to make a difference in children’s lives by teaching them how to take care of their dental hygiene.