Learning Good Dental Hygiene at Sleeping Giant Day Care

Many early childhood programs take time as part of their curriculum to focus on oral health education. On October 27, the three- and four-year-olds at Sleeping Giant Day Care in Hamden had two visitors and one stuffed kangaroo.

Two dentists from Yale Dental School, Dr. Judy and Dr. Lauren, talked to the children about brushing their teeth, what kinds of foods are good and bad for their teeth, and how to floss their teeth. They made their lessons into games. One game, the children were given a piece of plastic food, and they had to put the food in the box that would be considered "good" or "bad" for their teeth. The kangaroo toy had teeth that the children could practice brushing. They also tried on surgical masks and gloves that dentists and dental hygienists wear.

"How many times a day do we brush?" asked Dr. Judy.

"Two times a day," said the children.

"We brush our teeth, tongue and gums," said Dr. Judy.

The Yale dentists visit once a year, said Edie Reichard, Director of Sleeping Giant Day Care in Hamden.

"I don't think they've missed a year," she said.

The visits provide training for the dental school and helps the child care center meet NAEYC and state requirements. The visit also kicks off a unit the center is starting on dental hygiene. Reichard said they do try to plan these visits around Halloween.