Dental Scholars Return to Perry Nursery School
Eight members of the School of Dentistry's Scholars Program in Dental Leadership returned to the Perry Nursery School in Ann Arbor during mid-winter break in late February to talk about oral health care to a group of about 100 youngsters between the ages of 2 and 5.
Last summer, more than a dozen of the Dental Scholars participated in a community service initiative at Perry that included painting classrooms, cleaning facilities, and scrubbing cots. [DentalUM, Fall 2007].
With an oversized cardboard typodont on a tabletop, Dental Scholars Stephanie Munz (left) and Darlene Guttridge watch a youngster at the Perry Nursery School practice her brushing technique on a stuffed animal, Chompers.
Helping to Ease Fears
"We went in pairs into each classroom and gave the kids some useful information about how and when to brush," said Erica Scheller. "We also gave them an opportunity to try brushing the teeth of our stuffed dog, Chompers, or try to brushing using a large typodont."
Heavenly Jackson, development director, and other administrators told the Dental Scholars that many children that age have varying degrees of dental phobia. To help lessen the problem, Dental Scholars took turns being patients while another student wore dental attire and performed an oral exam.
Afterwards, several children volunteered to sit in an improvised dental chair. A dental bib was placed on their chest and the dental students asked the children to open their mouths and stick out their tongues. "Amazingly, even the kids who were hesitant later volunteered to come up after watching their classmates," Scheller said.
The youngsters were also taught a song about brushing their teeth and had their questions answered by the Dental Scholars. When the program ended, each child received a bag with a toothbrush, dental coloring book, crayons, and a small toy to take home.
One of the reasons the visit by the Dental Scholars succeeded, she said, was the help the group received from Dr. Marita Inglehart, a psychologist and associate professor of dentistry. Inglehart has developed a Web site that helps kindergarten and elementary school teachers educate their students about oral health care. For more information, visit www.dent.umich.edu/teachoralhealth.
"Our goal is to reach more underserved populations in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti," Scheller said. "Any help we could receive from interested sponsors would be appreciated." For more information, e-mail SPDLkidsdentistry@umich.edu.
