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Brushing Basics: Teaching Kids About Oral Health

RDH 2520

Public Health & Epidemiology

Berkeley Beaulieu

Ivybrook Academy

Berkeley Beaulieu, Arianna Darsinos, Emily Patton, Alicia Francis, Jennifer Draper
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Brushing Basics: Teaching Kids About Oral Health

Education is a large portion of a dental hygienist's job. A great way for a hygienist to do

this is through public outreach initiatives. As part of our public outreach project our group of

five, (Emily Patton, Arianna Darsinos, Jennifer Draper, Alicia Francis, and Berkeley Beaulieu)

visited Ivybrook Academy in Franklin, Tennessee to educate children ages 3-5 on proper oral

care. We titled our project “Brushing Basics: Teaching Kids About Oral Health.”

We worked with Ivybrook’s principal, Hannah Patton, to help coordinate with the teachers to

find what time would be best for us to visit. We explained the importance of early oral hygiene

education in children and expressed our desire to come to teach them. She loved the idea and

helped us find a time that worked for everyone. We visited the school on July 20, 2022, at 9:30

am.

In preparation for our assignment, our group met for lunch to brainstorm ideas and

research different approaches to educating children. We covered all our bases and worked

efficiently by delegating different parts of the assignment to each group member. After

researching and discussing ideas, we conceptualized our thoughts to fill out our lesson plan as a

group. Emily and Arianna finalized the lesson plan after the group had established goals and

objectives for our outreach project. We all worked together to educate and demonstrate brushing

and flossing techniques to the children when we visited Ivybrook. After our school visit, we

broke down portions of our paper and assigned sections to each group member. Emily wrote the

introduction and Alicia worked on the assessment portion. Arianna wrote the Planning and

Implementation section. Jennifer wrapped up the paper with the evaluation section of our project

and made any necessary changes to the entire paper. Meanwhile, Berkeley was in charge of
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collecting the data of our target population, creating the PowerPoint and classroom presentation

to share with our classmates what we had done and learned from the experience.

Assessment

Ivybrook Academy is a Montessori school that offers year-round education to children

encouraging them to be more independent. Ivybrook offers many student-directed learning

opportunities. Because of this, we felt that we could help empower these children through oral

hygiene education and demonstrations. The reason we decided to go to this site for our project is

that we felt educating children of this age group on oral health and oral hygiene instructions

would benefit them in their early childhood development along with their independent learning.

Educating children through teaching and visual demonstration is an excellent way they can retain

the knowledge they are being taught. Another reason we choose this site is that children of this

age group are eager to learn and can discuss what they learn with other individuals such as their

parents or caregivers, family members, and peers. This is helpful because it opens doors for

others to seek more information when they see younger children motivated and eager to care for

their health.

We determined this would be a good target group because of their directed learning and

the school encourages children to be more independent. Educating children about their oral

health and what roles they play in taking care of their teeth is a beneficial way to start the habit

of caring for their teeth at a younger age as well as helping the children become more

independent with oral care.

Many children in the group had been to the dentist regularly but some did not go to the

dentist routinely. Many of the children in this age group have already had procedures completed

to treat childhood decay. We supplied each child with a toothbrush and toothpaste to take home
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with them, along with demonstrating and teaching them how to properly brush and floss their

teeth on their own. We wanted to ensure the child had the resources needed to be able to brush at

home. Many children are at risk of developing dental caries and other issues due to their diet,

lack of brushing, and other factors in their lives. This can be a constraint for children. There are

many constraints to consider that could increase these children’s risk and make them susceptible

to dental caries and oral problems. Some of the children may not have access to dental care the

way others do whether it be from costs, lack of insurance, or transportation, and the parents

could have problems such as taking time off work to take the child to the dental office. We

wanted to help limit the risk factors that could potentially cause dental caries and oral problems

at an early age by educating the children on oral hygiene.

When discussing oral health, we know that children do not have the dexterity to properly

brush and floss. This is a behavior that is learned through practice and doing it routinely until

they develop the correct motions and fully understand how to hold the toothbrush. The children's

needs can be met by having their parents help them regularly with brushing. Parents can also

teach them to properly brush by allowing them to practice and take turns brushing before or after

they have brushed. The parents assisting the child with toothbrushing will ensure all areas are

being cleaned and nothing is being missed while giving the children a chance to practice and

become more competent at brushing and flossing. Teaching the children, the importance of

brushing and why our diets are an important factor in our oral health will also benefit the

children. This will help them to make healthier choices when it comes to what foods and drinks,

they are consuming. Educating the children on what foods and drinks can cause dental caries and

what options are better for our health can potentially help to plant that seed of knowledge in the

parent’s or caregivers’ minds and encourage them to make healthier choices at home.
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Planning

We informed the staff that was present about the resources present at South College and

the dental clinic. We shared information that they can use to inform the parents of the children

and ways to continue to incorporate dental hygiene into their Montessori-style curriculum. Our

group emphasized the benefits of the South College Dental Clinic. These benefits included the

low costs our clinic provides, sealant options, and how there is no need for dental insurance. Our

group discussed what to focus our presentation around during the planning stage. We chose to

make our focus effective tooth brushing techniques for children and potential adjuncts they

should add into their routine. The focus of our presentation correlates with our goals. During the

discussion part of our presentation, our focus was asking questions regarding healthy foods, what

happens if children do not engage in tooth brushing, and how often they should brush. Our

demonstration part of our presentation focused on tooth brushing techniques and the use of floss

picks.

We developed a sequence before our presentation. We decided to start with introductions,

engaging questions, informative statements, and teaching. Our group started with this to capture

their attention and keep it throughout the presentation. We then followed up with our group

demonstrating to the children before they had the opportunity to practice. We knew by the end of

our discussion and demonstration, the children’s attention span would begin to decline; therefore,

we jumped into hands-on practice with the children to re-engage their focus and excitement.

Our goals and objectives were both met during our preparation and presentation, and they

were also measurable. Some of our goals were centered around teaching the best brushing times,

foods that benefit our teeth and food that hurt our teeth, and the importance of taking care of our

teeth. We measured whether our goals and objectives were met based on the outcome of our
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presentation and if the children retained any information that we had just provided them. We

developed questions regarding healthy oral habits and healthy foods to ask at the beginning of

our presentation and came up with answers to explain various questions the children may ask. At

the end of our presentation, we asked the same questions, and they were able to answer them

correctly. One of our goals was to educate and assist the children in properly brushing their teeth.

We taught tooth brushing techniques during our discussion. During the hands-on portion, they

were able to show us what we just demonstrated to them, and they were successful. This showed

us that our goals and objectives were appropriate for this target population and were measurable

throughout every part of the presentation.

Lesson Plan

Site Ivy Brook Academy

Date of Presentation:

07/20/22 @9:45 A.M.

Team Members:

Emily Patton, Arianna Darsinos, Jennifer Draper, Berkeley Beaulieu, Alicia Francis

The goal for the Presentation:

Educate children so they better understand the importance of brushing and flossing.

Specific Objectives: (upon completion of this lesson, the participants will be able to):

1. Upon completion of this lesson, the children will understand the importance of oral hygiene

and taking care of their teeth.

2. Upon completion of this lesson, the children will be able to adequately brush their teeth on

their own.
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3. Upon completion of this lesson, the children will be able to identify foods to help keep their

teeth healthy.

4. Upon completion of this lesson, the children will be able to demonstrate the best times of day

to brush their teeth.

Write Out Objective(s)

Engage with the children in exciting ways to catch their attention. Demonstrate proper

tooth brushing techniques that are easy for children to execute effectively. We will use the

models and puppets to demonstrate tooth brushing. We will use language/verbiage that is easy

for children to comprehend, especially concerning the caries process. We will ask the children

questions and continue their engagement throughout our presentation. We will hand out

toothbrushes and floss picks for them to take home and use on themselves.

How did you specifically meet the objective(s)?

Our group met the objectives by effectively demonstrating brushing and flossing

techniques and educating the children in a way that meets their comprehension level.

What specific activity did the group participate in to meet this?

The group engaged the children by getting them interested in teeth. The group will then

explain the importance of proper hygiene and how to protect their teeth. The group will then

demonstrate brushing and flossing techniques and allow the children to practice.

List and describe the visual aids, etc. used to meet this objective:

We used our personal Colgate models with the attached toothbrush, puppets that are

meant to educate children in a fun way, flyers with tooth brushing techniques that are easy for

children to understand, toothbrushes and floss to pass around, and allowed the children to

practice.
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What materials or others did you give to the participants that would enhance their meeting

of the goal?

We will allow each child to practice tooth brushing on the Colgate models and/or

puppets. We will hand out toothbrushes and floss picks for the children to take home and/or

practice with. We will bring handheld mirrors so the participants can watch their techniques.

Implementation

The implementation phase of our project involved preparing ourselves for what to expect

during our presentation. We had to prepare our demonstrations as well as ourselves for any

possible questions or scenarios that may arise. Our group discussed the characteristics and

attitudes at which we were going to deliver our presentation. The characteristics we decided to

focus on were patience, enthusiasm, interaction with students and staff, and fairness. Our steps to

execute the project successfully included combining the information we collected from

assessment, diagnosis, and planning and determining the most effective way to deliver the

information to our audience.

The most important step of the presentation was preparation. We met as a group multiple

times to assign tasks and roles, determine delivery methods, and prepared for questions,

interruptions, and how we would handle the audience if the focus was lost. We volunteered

ourselves for specific roles that we felt we, as individuals, would be successful in as well as

benefit our group’s presentation. We went to Ivybrook Academy and gave our presentation in

their “Discovery Room” which is a large classroom. Our contact with Ivybrook was Hannah

Patton, and she was present during our presentation.

Alicia works as a dental assistant in a pediatric clinic. She possesses the knowledge and

techniques that are used to successfully teach children about oral health and oral hygiene
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instruction. Alicia was able to share helpful tips on how to communicate with children in a way

they would comprehend. She brought vibrant and engaging puppets with teeth in them that were

used to demonstrate tooth brushing techniques. She also brought flyers with easy-to-understand

pictures and instructions on tooth brushing. Emily was able to provide us with the location site at

which we completed our presentation. Emily brought handheld floss picks that we allowed the

children to practice using on the puppets and models, and she assisted in passing the

toothbrushes and floss picks to all the children. Emily was able to delegate picture taking to one

of the staff members, so we were able to document our visit to Ivybrook Academy. Emily also

coordinated with Ms. DuVall and Ivybrook Academy on issues regarding supplies, appointment

time, presentation time, and time restraints. Berkeley has a history of babysitting children in the

same age demographic. She possesses the demeanor and ability to communicate with young

children effectively; therefore, she was assigned the task of engaging and speaking to the

children. Berkeley brought her Colgate model for the children to practice on as well. Jennifer is

organized and very detail oriented. She was imperative in preparing our group with proper

verbiage, expected questions, and research tips on how to communicate and engage with the

children. She is also a mom, so she was able to assist in one-on-one conversations with the

children while they demonstrated the techniques they were taught. Arianna enjoys public

speaking and community activities, so we also assigned her the task of speaking to the group and

redirecting the conversation if the children lost focus. Arianna and Berkeley worked at the

beginning to ask questions and begin the start of our presentation. She also assisted with floss

and tooth brushing demonstrations. Together as a team, we were able to complete our goals and

objectives. We all brought different strengths and skills to the table which made the outcome and

purpose of our presentation successful.

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As a group, we took either a puppet or Colgate model and split the classroom up,

allowing each child to practice brushing and flossing. By bringing the models, puppets,

toothbrushes, and floss picks, we were able to maintain the children’s attention throughout the

duration of the presentation. Each child was given a fair chance to practice and take part in the

demonstration. We made sure to be fair and patient with all the children when it came to the

hands-on practicing segment of our presentation. The children remained excited, enthusiastic,

open-minded, and willing to learn while we demonstrated oral hygiene techniques. The children

also took part by answering questions, asking questions, and they all shared what they had

learned at the end of our presentation.

Evaluation

At the end of our presentation, we felt like we accomplished our goals. The objectives

that we outlined were helping the children recognize the importance of oral hygiene, effectively

teaching the children how to adequately brush their teeth, educating the children on what foods

keep our teeth healthy, and educating the children on the best times to brush their teeth. We as a

group collectively met each of these goals upon completion of our presentation. Each of our

objectives acted like steps to achieve our overall goal of oral hygiene education. One of the

obstacles we faced was the potential of having to combat the short attention span of the children

during the presentation. To solve this obstacle, we focused on being prepared. We had attention-

grabbing questions regarding oral hygiene that we would ask the group if we felt like they were

losing interest in our presentation; luckily, they remained focused and attentive through the full

duration of the presentation. We used a questionnaire and a show-tell-do method to determine if

our objectives had been met. We asked questions that we had already answered during our
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presentation, and we also asked the children to demonstrate back the toothbrushing method that

we had taught them to measure our success. The children were able to successfully answer our

questions and demonstrate the methods we taught them. This allowed us to conclude that our

presentation had served its purpose.

A formative evaluation was used throughout the presentation to monitor the children’s learning

process. We used this evaluation to determine any adjustments that needed to be made

throughout the presentation. We used summative evaluation, evaluating our success at the end of

our presentation. As stated before, the children’s attention spans were something we had to

consider. Even though the children were able to successfully answer our post-presentation

questions and demonstrate proper tooth brushing and flossing techniques, we had to consider

how long this information would be present in their minds. To successfully help children, and

establish effective and continual oral hygiene habits, oral hygiene instructions should be

reimplemented routinely. The goals and objectives that we had established were accomplished at

the end of our presentation. We, as a group, understand the importance of establishing and

nurturing a healthy and effective relationship with oral hygiene among children that will be long-

lasting. These children yearn for feelings of independence and empowerment, and we were able

to use oral hygiene habits to feed that yearning.

Personal Narrative

My expectations of this project by working on data research specifically for our target

population of children aged 3-5 years old, were that the children we were presenting in front of,

would not have much knowledge of oral hygiene, and not know the proper way to brush, or what

a cavity is. I did not know what to expect from how the presentation would go because I always
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feel you can never expect how a child of a younger age might act regarding their attention span

or engage with us while asking questions. I was presently surprised that our audience was highly

active and engaged and had a basic general knowledge of oral hygiene habits.

Due to a positive experience of this project and valuing the need that spreading healthy

oral hygiene habits does to this target audience, I would like to continue to volunteer for these

types of programs when I am a licensed RDH.

The best part of this project was getting to present to a classroom of kids. I have been a

nanny and currently still babysit so I enjoyed working with children of this age range since I felt

confident that I have the needed demeanor and patience to present and use the correct

terminology to teach the children in a way where they would be engaged and retain the

information. Plus, I enjoyed seeing how excited they were to have a classroom visitor and asked

many questions, and the importance of learning proper oral hygiene habits positively benefits

them to decrease their risk of dental decay.

The worst part of the project would have to be that we had to use our time off to meet to

discuss and work on the project and when we needed to do our presentation to the children. What

I would change about this project is to have devoted time in class to work on the project and

maybe a day where instead of attending class we go to our volunteer locations to present.
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Community Dental Health Project Contract

Dental Hygiene students agree to the following terms for the RDH 2520 Community Outreach
Project:

• Always exhibit professional behavior with peers, participants, and on-site

contact persons. • Follow established guidelines, activities, and deadlines as
outlined in the course syllabus and project packet.
• Keep Couse Instructor informed on the progress of this project.
• Follow recommendations and feedback by the Course Instructor and make
necessary revisions. • All site information and contact person signatures and
evaluations completed and submitted as per deadline.
• A copy of this form and all other signed forms are to be included in the Project Binder.

Team Members:
Berkeley Beaulieu, Arianna Darsinos, Emily Patton, Alicia Francis, Jennifer Draper

Organization:
IvyBrook Academy

Address:
1268 Lewisburg Pike, Franklin, TN 37064

Telephone and email:

615-972-5932 Hannah.Patton@ivybrookacademy.com

Contact Person:
Hannah Patton

Target Population:
Children ages 3-5

Brief Description of your Project:

Educating children on oral hygiene habits and the caries process.

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Dates of your Presentation:

July 20,2022__________

• Did the DH student keep you informed of the dates and times for the
presentation? YES NO
• Were the DH students on time for their scheduled presentations?
YES NO
• Were the DH students organized and prepared with their materials
and supplies? YES NO
• Were the DH students professional in their appearance and
interactions? YES NO
• Did the DH students contribute equally to the presentation and
activities? YES NO
• Were the DH students knowledgeable about the information they were
presenting? YES NO
• Did the DH students demonstrate enthusiasm during their
presentations? YES NO

Any additional comments and your overall evaluation of this project:

Contact Person’s Printed Name:

Hannah Patton___________________________
Contact Person’s Signature:
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Annotated Bibliography

Mathu-Muju, K. R., McLeod, J., Donnelly, L., Harrison, R., & MacEntee, M. I. (2017).

The perceptions of First Nation participants in a Community Oral Health initiative.

International Journal of Circumpolar Health, 76(1).

https://doi.org/10.1080/22423982.2017.1364960

Ogenchuk, M., Graham, J., Uswak, G., Graham, H., Weiler, R., & Ramsden, V. R. (2022).

Pediatric oral health: Community-based Participatory Research. BMC Pediatrics,

22(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-022-03153-0

Seirawan, H., Parungao, K., Habibian, M., Slusky, N., Edwards, C., Artavia, M., Cen, S.,

Chan, C., & Mulligan, R. (2020). The Children’s Health and Maintenance Program

(CHAMP): An Innovative Community Outreach Oral Health Promotion Program: A

randomized trial. Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology, 49(2), 192–200.

https://doi.org/10.1111/cdoe.12591