Healthy Teeth and Healthy Me
Authors: Bailey Crews, Brook Haymans, Patricia Haller, Brittney Mathis, Katherine Spann, Sydney Smith, and Jonathon Widener
Faculty Supervisor: Beverly Rowe, MSN, CNE, RN
Abstract:
Our group presented on proper oral health and proper nutrition to preschoolers at the FACES Prekindergarten Center. Our presentation included 1. Demonstrating how to properly brush and floss teeth, 2. Identifying what is a healthy and an unhealthy food, and 3. Demonstrating how to properly grow healthy foods analogizing this process to the importance of properly caring for the developing human body. Our presentation included visual aids with an emphasis on experiential learning. We utilized the teach-back method throughout to evaluate the students understanding. At the end of the presentation, we provided each child with a gift bag of items needed to continue practicing proper oral health (e.g., toothbrush) and proper nutrition (e.g., fruits) outside the school setting.
We also conducted a literature review. We determined the importance of introducing proper oral hygiene and proper nutrition at an early age in development that should continue to be reinforced throughout childhood and adolescence. This is because many health complications and/or diseases are associated with poor oral hygiene and/or improper nutrition. As such, early education on oral health and proper nutrition at various settings can and would promote health and wellness to reduce the likelihood of such health complications and/or diseases.
