An Interactive Lesson Plan—Oral Health Promotion at the School of Peace

On Saturday, November 8, 2014, Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) pre-doctoral students Margi Chan DMD 16 and Destinee Ingrao DMD 15 spent the morning at the Community of Sant’Egidio School of Peace in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts talking to children about oral health and the importance of maintaining healthy teeth and gums.

The visit to the School of Peace was a first for GSDM. Pre-doctoral student Margi Chan is a regular volunteer at the Community of Sant’Egidio, and arranged for the visit. Chan created the lesson plan and presented it to the students with the help of Pre-doctoral student Destinee Ingrao. There were 18 children in attendance ranging from ages 6 to 10.

Chan and Ingrao talked to the students about the importance of brushing their teeth and flossing each day. They taught them what cavities are and how they form, and the difference between healthy and unhealthy foods. They used Play-Doh on large Lego blocks to simulate plaque and to demonstrate proper flossing techniques.

At the end of the presentation, the children were given an opportunity to ask questions. “They were very enthusiastic and asked us many questions, demonstrating their intelligence and curiosity in the topics Margi and Destinee were presenting. We were very impressed by the questions the children posed,” said Oral Health Promotion Director Ms. Kathy Lituri.

They asked salient questions such as, “Do we brush in a circle or back and forth?” and “Why do my classmates have teeth that come out at different times than mine?” Another asked, “Why do our gums bleed when we brush our teeth and what does that mean?” One budding young athlete asked, “How can we protect our teeth when we play sports?”

At the end of the day, the children were provided with a goodie bag containing a toothbrush, toothpaste, and stickers.