“Give Kids a Smile®” Event Brings Teeth Cleanings to Pine Creek Head Start

On February 12, the children at the Pine Creek Head Start program were visited by NHBP General Dentist Joslynn Zaluski and Dental Office Assistant Michelle Phommavongsa for a special presentation on good teeth-cleaning habits. Zaluski addressed an excited group of children aged three to five years old, and her passion for teaching the community about dental health lit up the rooms with smiles. “Dental visits are very important for kids!” she said in a follow up interview. “We generally like to start seeing them as early as 1 years old. Many times we will just take a very quick look and answer any questions the parents may have.”

Also in attendance was a green, scaly, toothy friend named Ally the Alligator to help Zaluski demonstrate how thoroughly you should be brushing your teeth. While she and the students gave the gator a good brushing, she also posed some questions for everyone to answer about healthy dental habits. Everyone shouted out “two!” when asked how many times a day you should brush your teeth; named peas, carrots, and cheese as foods that are good for your teeth, while sugary items should be enjoyed in moderation and followed up by either rinsing your mouth with water or brushing your teeth; and even reminded Zaluski of the importance of brushing your tongue as part of your toothbrushing routine.

Next the students were invited to one by one have their teeth checked with Zaluski, while the rest of the class received coloring pages featuring activities about dentists, healthy dental habits, and an empty space in which they drew what made them smile. The children gave enthusiastic “ahh’s” while getting their teeth checked, and when their exam was done they each received a goody bag with items to use towards keeping their teeth healthy at home, like a toothbrush and toothpaste, mini plastic flossers, and a small hourglass timer that helps keep track of total time spent brushing.

“Brushing twice a day for two minutes each time is very important.” said Zaluski. “Parents can help by reminding kids that they need to brush right along their gumline and monitor them as they brush their teeth as well as help them to brush. Even up until the age of 10 years old, it’s important for parents to be involved in children’s brushing habits. Teaching your kids how to floss is also very important, using floss picks when they are younger and then transitioning to regular floss as they age. Many times, having a bedtime routine for brushing and flossing as a family can be very helpful. Kids like to watch what their parents do and like to copy, so if you all brush together it can be beneficial for everyone.”

The importance of providing such health services to kids at a young age cannot be understated, and the learning opportunities are abundant at an event like Give Kids a Smile. Such an event serves two purposes, to teach and learn: the teaching coming from those providing children and their families with the resources, and the learning of what the needs of the community are through interactions such as those between Zaluski and the Head Start children.

“I think for the community it can show how much we truly care about educating kids and their parents on proper oral hygiene habits. It gets the kids excited and thinking more about dental health. We hope to see parents bringing their kids in for more routine care, and kids taking better care of their teeth!” (Zaluski)

To view the full photo gallery, click HERE.