A Couple Ways to Teach Your Child About Oral Health While Homeschooling

There are many parents out there that opt to homeschool their children for one reason or another. You want to give your child the best education as possible, and that includes teaching them a wide array of topics. One that certainly shouldn’t be forgotten is how to keep up excellent oral health. Continue reading to learn from a children’s dentist about some fun experiments and children’s books to help your kids learn how they can best keep their smiles healthy and why it is so important.

Fun Oral Health Experiments

For the hands-on learners out there, activities and experiments may be the best way to comprehend new topics. You probably still remember some of the experiments that you completed in science class when you were young. Here are some that demonstrate the importance of oral health:

• An Eggsperiment: This fun activity demonstrates how sugary beverages affect your child’s teeth. All you will need is two fresh eggs, a can of your cola of choice, fluoride mouthwash, white vinegar, and clear plastic cups. First, place each egg in a separate cup. Fill one of the cups with cola, and another one with fluoride mouthwash. Allow them to sit overnight. The next day, place the eggs in fresh containers and fill them both with the white vinegar. Lastly, observe the difference between the two!
• Plaque Growth: This activity demonstrates how sugar can fuel the growth of plaque in the mouth. You will need to begin with two clear cups. Put two teaspoons of yeast in each one. Add one cup of warm, not hot, water into each cup. Add one tablespoon of sugar to just one of the mixtures. Last, give both cups a stir to see the reaction.
• Decayed Apples: This last experiment shows what happens to teeth when a cavity develops. For this activity, you will need two apples, two paper bags, a sharp pencil, and a sharp knife. Use your pencil to poke a hole in one of the apples. This represents a break in the tooth’s enamel. Place each apple in a paper bag and wait 24 hours. Remove both apples from their bags and cut them each in half. The punctured apple should appear to have decay while the control apple will appear normal.

5 Books About Teeth

There are all sorts of kids’ books out there that aim to educate children on their smile and how to keep it healthy. Here are some popular picture books that you could try:

• The Tooth Book by Dr. Suess
• Just Going to the Dentist by Mercer Mayer
• Bear’s Loose Tooth by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman
• Arthur’s Tooth by Marc Brown
• Berenstain Bears Visit the Dentist by Jan and Stain Berenstain

These are just a few fun ways that you can teach your child about their mouth and how important it is for them to keep it healthy. Children with good oral hygiene routines when they are young are likely to continue to maintain excellent oral health when they get older.

About the Practice

At Bear Creek Family Dentistry, a team of general dentists and board-certified specialists in pediatric dentistry, orthodontics, oral surgery, and prosthodontics provide quality care to patients of all ages in the Mesquite area. To learn more about oral health for kids or to schedule an appointment, visit their website or call (972) 331-5300.