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Many Wisconsin Dental Association (WDA) members and components hosted dental health education and service activities for area children during February 2007 helping mark another successful National Children's Dental Health Month (NCDHM).

Stoughton dentist Dr. Thane Anderson visited Fox Prairie Elementary Dental School. He discussed and answered questions about dental health.

Kindergarten students at North Hudson Elementary learned about dental health when Dr. Robert Bardill visited the school. 

Dr. Thomas Brandt and his dental team in New Holstein visited the local 4K classrooms at Chilton Elementary School. They brought gloves, masks, bibs and glasses and demonstrated how sealants work with a model of teeth and a curing light. They also demonstrated proper brushing and flossing techniques and concluded with a dental health video. Children received toothbrushes, toothpaste and coloring books.

The Jackson Family Dentistry office of Dr. Scott Charmoli was busy with school visits at area pre-schools and kindergarten classes during NCDHM. Children learned why they need they need to take care of their teeth and what they need to do to maintain a healthy smile. Through use of colorful posters, big teeth and a toothbrush and make-believe plaque, they learned about proper brushing/flossing and nutrition. They also got to be ‘honorary dental helpers’ while learning about visits to the dentist. Everyone received toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental coloring sheets and crayons.

Dr. Thomas De Namur of Algoma shared the importance of oral health with the Sunshine Preschool in Calvary Assembly of God Church. He stressed the importance of starting dental habits early, what to expect at your first dental visit, different parts of teeth and the importance of different teeth as to their function.

Dr. Edward Dunbar and staff of Shell Lake spent showed Shell Lake Primary School second-graders the fundamentals of maintaining good oral hygiene and the proper way to brush and floss. The students visited his office and had the opportunity to sit in the dental chair and view X-rays of the different stages of growth for roots and teeth from childhood through adulthood.

JeriAnn Erickson, RDH, spoke to Mosinee elementary and middle schools, sharing with them the February WDA Journal NCDHM insert and the MOUTHPOWER.org Web site.

Dr. James Fritsche of De Pere visited a group of 25 four-year-olds at Encompass Child Care to discuss dental health. The children received coloring sheets.

The North Fond du Lac office of Dr. Orvis Johnson visited the kindergarten classes of Ms. Delgato, Ms. Soyk and Ms. Olson in Campbellsport to coordinate their dental health unit for NCDHM. Dr. Johnson and his assistant Dorene Gitter taught the children about proper oral health care and helped them make paperweights from their thumb impressions using dental materials.

Kindergarten students learned how to keep their teeth healthy when they visited Dr. Christopher Karas’ Elroy office. They toured the office, enjoyed a healthy snack, listened to a story and took home carrying cases filled with sugar-free treats and dental hygiene items.

Hudson dentist Dr. David Kell and his assistant Brady Peterson visited first-graders at North Hudson Elementary to talk about dental health. He had some help from his crocodile puppet, Coco

Dr. Julie Lesher of Hudson spoke to kindergarten students at Rock Elementary in February. The students learned the Rule of Two: brush two times a day for two minutes and visit your dentist two times a year. 

Wild Rose dentist Dr. Lynn Momsen showed Country Kids Preschool class the importance of caring for their teeth. The class visited her office where she demonstrated what it is like to come to the dentist.

Dr. Ann O’Neil of Wauwatosa spoke to two St. Pius X Grade School classrooms. Dr. O’Neil shared the ‘jobs’ teeth do with the four and five-year-old kindergarten class. Students paired up to take turns flossing using string and their partner’s hand to simulate teeth. Fifth graders viewed a spit tobacco video and learned about how tobacco affects the mouth through the Mr. GrossMouth model Dr. O’Neil loaned from the WDA.

Pardeeville Family Dentistry, office of Dr. Virginia Scott, followed its annual tradition of teaching and entertaining hundreds of area children throughout February. The dental team gave presentations to approximately 550 children at local schools. Dudley the Dinosaur and Roo the Kangaroo made visits, along with Pardeeville Family Dentistry team members, to help explain the importance of good dental hygiene habits and the importance of making healthy food choices. They also discussed playing safely on the playground and what to do to avoid dental emergencies. Each child received a goodie bag with a toothbrush, toothpaste, sugar-free gum and a dental related coloring sheet or worksheet.

The clinic also sponsored two contests at the elementary school level - a coloring contest for kindergarteners through third graders and a poster/essay contest for fourth and fifth graders. Each participant took home a gift and winner in each contest received funds for a classroom treat.

Pardeeville Family Dentistry also supplied dental scrubs, masks, gloves and Honorary Dental Assistant nametags for teachers and school staff members at the elementary schools to wear on a dental health awareness day.

Dr. Nancy Patel of Mequon spoke to a junior kindergarten classroom at Lumen Christi Catholic School. They discussed proper tooth care with a large dentoform model, showed a dental-related cartoon loaned from the WDA (“The kids loved it!” said Dr. Patel) and discussed nutrition and visiting the dentist.

Dr. Terry and Mary Rindahl spoke to Arcadia second graders and taught them proper brushing and flossing techniques and about taking care of their teeth.

With such great response to school visits last February, the Brookfield pediatric dental office of Drs. Rollefson & Trochlell and Associates continued efforts to encourage preschool and school-aged children to practice good dental care. Hundreds of children at various schools were taught proper brushing and flossing and encouraged to make good food and beverage choices. “Future dentists” tried on masks and gloves and were able to practice new brushing skills on models of teeth. Every child received a new toothbrush and tooth activity sheets with stickers.

In Little Suamico, hygienist Amy Spaude, RDH, visited fifth graders and discussed oral health and spit tobacco, utilizing a Mr. Grossmouth and video available on loan from the WDA. At the end of the presentation, students were quizzed on what they learned.

Two hygienists from the Kewaskum office of Dr. Stephen Van Ess visited the Little Folks School House to talk about dental hygiene. They explained all the dental instruments used when a child visits the dental office, taught proper brushing and flossing and showed the children a dental cartoon video. Each child received a toothbrush.

In Watertown, Drs. Gerard Bradley, William Buchholtz, Harry Gibson, Cary Gillingham, David Groh, David Meade, Paul Sommers and Michael Wertz visited some 100 students. They explained what to expect at a dental visit, various dental procedures and the importance of brushing, flossing and making healthy food choices.

Dr. Evonne Evans, a Waukesha orthodontist, established an educational children’s dental health program for third grade students in 1995 and is chairperson for this event offered through the Waukesha County Dental Society. In 2007, approximately 41 dentists visited about 3,800 third grade students (167 classrooms in 11 districts).

Prior to 1995, Crest sponsored a third grade program and participation declined when Crest elected to change from third to first grade. Dr. Evonne Evans then changed the direction of the program from a product-sponsored presentation to an educational curriculum titled “Plaque Attack” and created teaching kits, which includes four 12 by 18-inch laminated posters showing the parts of a tooth, dental progression of teeth from childhood to adulthood, effective tooth brushing and flossing, how to prevent cavities and proper nutrition. In addition, Dr. Evans expanded the program by making artistic worksheets and word searches for the students, to aid in reinforcing the information.

Thank you to all of these WDA members for telling us about your NCDHM activities. If you participate in community activities during NCDHM or at any other time of the year – please let us know! Contact Heather Willette at 800-364-7646 or hwillette@wda.org.

For more information & additional resources

• Activity sheets
• Free brochures/publications
• Classroom ideas and resources
• Medline Plus Children's Dental Health