Lesson Plans for Smart Smiles: Dental Health Resources for the Classroom
We love teachers. Their dedication for shaping the minds of our little loved ones often goes above and beyond what they are asked to do. So, we wanted to return the favor by helping ease the workload by suggesting a few dental-themed lesson plans to teach healthy habits:
Help Roger The Robot Floss His Teeth
via Delta Dental of Arkansas
Level: 1st Grade
National Health Education Standards: 1, 6, 7
Overview
Students will use their math skills to determine the daily code and help Roger the Red Robot floss his teeth.
Supplies
- Roger the Red Robot story found online
- Roger the Red Robot Flossing Codes sheet (one per student) found online (link above)
- Roger the Red Robot with numbered teeth found online (link above).
- Print one in color on 11 x 17 paper
- Dental floss
- 14 thumb tacks
Steps
- Put the Roger the Red Robot printout with numbered teeth on a bulletin board and put a pushpin by each of the numbered “teeth.” Make sure the number is visible.
- Read the Roger the Red Robot story to the class.
- Discuss the importance of brushing teeth twice a day and flossing them once a day. Discuss who the professional is who helps us care for our teeth (our dentist). Discuss what happened when Roger ate junk food.
- Using the Flossing Codes sheet, each day find the code to floss Roger’s teeth.
- Have students take a 2 foot long piece of dental floss and using the secret code, put the floss over the first number, under the second number, etc., and pull the floss gently back and forth to “floss” Roger’s teeth.
Egg-citing Experiment
Level: Grades K-4
Let students “brush the teeth” (egg carton) using the white paint and toothbrush. Once the paint is dry, it’s time to floss! Work with children to place “plaque” (moldable dough) in between each egg carton crack. Then use the floss to remove the dough from each tooth.
Happy Tooth/Sad Tooth
Level: 1st Grade
National Health Education Standards: 1, 7
Overview
Students will identify nutritious foods and drinks that can keep our teeth healthy, and foods and drinks that can hurt our teeth.
Supplies
- Happy Tooth and Sad Tooth Templates found online
- Colored pencils, markers
Steps
- Lead the class in reviewing the importance of teeth and explain that teeth help us chew healthy food, which keeps our bodies healthy, and helps us to learn. The choices we make in our foods and drinks can help or hurt our teeth.
- Help students brainstorm a list of foods and drinks that they think would be healthy for our teeth and why.
- Repeat with a list of foods and drinks that would be bad for our teeth and why.
- Give each student a Happy Tooth sheet and a Sad Tooth sheet.
- Instruct students to choose healthy foods and drinks to write on the Happy Tooth. They can also color a picture of the food beside the tooth.
- Instruct students to choose unhealthy foods and drinks to write on the Sad Tooth. They can also color the Sad Tooth gray or brown and draw cavities on the Sad Tooth.
Extension/Adaptations
Introduce this lesson by reading the class books such as “Fancy Nancy and the Too-Loose Tooth” by Jane O’Connor, “Clarabella’s Teeth” by An Vrombaut, or “The Tooth Book” by Edward Miller.
For more dental health resources, check out the National Education Association’s Children’s Dental Health Activities.
Related stories
-
INSURANCE 103 [INFOGRAPHIC]
If you made it through our Insurance 101 and Insurance 102 Infographics, congratulations! You are ready to … Read More
-
5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Adding Dependents
Need to add a dependent to your dental insurance? Ask yourself these five questions first:
-
5 Hilarious Requests From Kids to the Tooth Fairy
When a baby tooth falls out, the Tooth Fairy flies in for her pearly white reward and … Read More
Sign Up Now
Most Liked
- 1 Do Expiration Dates on Dental Products Matter? 305 Likes
- 2 Is Activated Charcoal Safe for your Smile? 166 Likes
- 3 Crazy and Cool Fish Teeth Facts 91 Likes
- 4 Delta Dental Protects Your Eyes with DeltaVision® Coverage 70 Likes
- 5 The In-between Tooth: Guide to Bicuspids 53 Likes
- 6 Recipe: Quick Pumpkin Pudding 49 Likes
- 7 Bad Taste After Brushing? Common Explanations 44 Likes
- 8 People with Dental Benefits are Healthier 39 Likes
- 9 Own Your Oral Health: Subscribe now for tips to ensure a bright smile 38 Likes
- 10 Signs of diabetic eye problems 36 Likes