Home schooling your children is a rewarding experience for both you and your family. Being able to choose the lessons, set the schedule, and ensure that they can spend extra attention on areas that pique their curiosity is priceless. But sometimes it can be challenging to find exciting materials that will keep them engaged. If you’re looking for a fun and interesting way to help teach your child about the importance of oral health, here are some amazing resources that anyone can use!
Flossing Lessons
To teach your kids proper flossing techniques and the importance of this oral hygiene step, put a small amount of Play-Doh between some large Legos. Using a piece of yarn, have your child floss between them and remove the dough. This will not only instruct your child on how to floss, but also show them how much can be missed by brushing alone.
Beverage Dangers
For a real-life lesson on how different beverages affect the teeth, take three hard boiled eggs and one raw egg, and soak the boiled eggs in a variety of drinks. Place one in a cup of coffee, one in a cup of tea, and one in a cup of cola. Place the raw egg in a cup of vinegar.
The next day, remove each egg from its fluid, and observe what has happened to the shells. The boiled shells should appear discolored, while the raw egg’s shell should have dissolved, symbolizing the effects of acid on the teeth.
Plaque Problems
To illustrate the dangers of plaque, try the following fun experiment. Using two plastic cups, put two teaspoons of yeast and one cup of warm water in each. Next, add one tablespoon of sugar to one cup. Stir each cup with a separate spoon and watch as “plaque” grows in the cup with the sugar. This lesson teaches students that sugar encourages plaque growth and increases the risk of cavities.
Oral Health Books
If your child loves reading, here are a few books about oral health that can make caring for their teeth an adventure!
- Berenstain Bears Visit the Dentist, by Jan and Stain Berenstain
- Arthur’s Tooth, by Marc Brown
- Just Going to the Dentist, by Mercer Mayer
- Arthur Tricks the Tooth Fairy, by Marc Brown
- The Tooth Book, by Dr. Suess
Remember, caring for your oral health is an important lesson for children of all ages. Whether you attend home school, public school, or private school, these experiments and books make learning about the benefits of protecting your teeth lots of fun!
About Our Practice
At Harbor Dental Center, our focus is on preventing oral health emergencies that could cause you unnecessary pain and expense. That’s why we do our best to educate patients of all ages about how to protect their teeth and gums before an accident happens. Whether you need a general exam and cleaning, you’re looking for a cosmetic procedure, or you have a dental emergency, we’re here to help.
To schedule an appointment for your child, please visit our website or call us today at 410-228-5445.