If you’re a part of the 3.1 million parents homeschooling their children in the United States, it may feel daunting getting back into the flow of the school year and teaching your child important life skills. If you haven’t already started teaching them about the importance of maintaining good oral hygiene, the beginning of the school year is the perfect time. Read on for three helpful activity ideas to teach them how to take care of their smiles and prevent cavities.
The Egg-namel Experiment
For many children, visual representations can have a lasting impact on them, which is exactly what the egg-namel activity is created to do!
This experiment is designed to demonstrate the different effects that drinks can have on teeth. It’s very simple and can be completed with ingredients that you likely have in your house already. Here are the steps of the project:
- Boil three eggs and keep one of them raw.
- Fill up four different cups, one of vinegar, one of a dark soda, one of coffee, and one of tea.
- Place all of the boiled eggs in the coffee, soda, and tea, and place the raw egg in the vinegar.
- Let them sit for an entire day and remove the eggs from the cups.
You’ll likely notice that all of the hard-boiled eggs’ shells are severely discolored, while the shell from the egg in the vinegar has dissolved altogether. In addition to showing your child how acids can impact an egg’s shell, your child will be able to put their critical thinking and hypothesizing skills to the test by applying the findings of this experiment to their very own pearly whites.
Teaching the Trick to Flossing
Flossing can be difficult, especially if your child has never been taught how to do it properly. Using colorful and fun toys like Legos and Play-Doh, you can show them exactly how flossing works (and what it does) by building small columns of Legos and stuffing Play-Doh between them. The Lego columns will represent teeth, while the Play-Doh will signify the food that can become trapped between them after eating. With a piece of yarn, have your child clean the Play-Doh from between the Lego columns to show them just how flossing works!
The Not-So-Secret Oral Anatomy
Sometimes, having a better understanding of what exactly is happening within the mouth can help your child understand the importance of routine flossing and brushing. You can give them greater insight into their smile and demystify common oral health problems like cavities by showing them kid-friendly YouTube videos to teach them about their oral anatomy.
About the Practice
At Brush Pediatric Dentistry, our team is comprised of five experienced board-certified pediatric dentists who are all mothers themselves, including Drs. Albert, Rizzo, Gripentrog, Karamchandani, and Bollow. With a commitment to offering both children and parents a pleasant and educational experience at every visit, our team is trusted by countless families in and around Hinsdale and Downers Grove. For questions or to schedule an appointment, visit Brush Pediatric Dentistry’s website or call 630-504-2223.