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Print, purchase or create dental props. Use pictures of floss, toothpaste, and toothbrushes. Attach the pictures to craft sticks for use during the “photo session”. Create a lab coat for kids by using a big white t-shirt and markers. Use an instant camera or print the pictures from your phone.

Create a storyboard with the Polaroid pictures; participants identify and label items in the pictures.

Fill bins with colored rice, sand, birdseed or water. Add plastic letters, numbers, or dental items like toothbrushes, mini tooth erasers, plastic food items and more. Use hands, slotted spoons, or a sifter to find items. Use for sorting/matching activities, and prompts for discussion related to dental health and nutrition.

Experiment with food coloring mixed in white rice or water to make the bins more interesting. Enhance the sensory experience by adding scent with spices, essential oil, or lemon juice.

For example, to make a yellow themed bin do the following:

Fill bin with water, add toothbrushes and various items to “brush”. Use a 2-minute timer and reinforce the importance of brushing for 2 minutes 2 times a day.

Create pink gums. Use white Play-Dough or white pebbles to create teeth. Use dental shaped cookie cutters with Play-Dough.

Dip dental shaped cookie cutters in paint to create a dental themed picture.

Provide pictures of dental tools such as an explorer, mirror, and saliva ejector. Re-create these tools using pipe cleaners, felt pieces and bottle caps.

Cover tooth and dental item cutouts in glue. Sprinkle with colored sand and other textured materials such as rice, glitter or confetti.

Materials: egg cartons (entire or in sections), floss (yarn or string), play dough, toothbrushes, toothpaste or flour/water mixture with food coloring. *You can use Duplo blocks instead of an egg carton.

Flossing - Put play dough in between egg carton teeth, use floss item to remove play dough. Emphasize that a tooth brush cannot get between the teeth, floss every night even when we do not see or feel food stuck in-between our teeth because cavity germs are invisible.

Brushing - Paint the toothpaste or mixture on the teeth. Use toothbrush to brush it off. Focus on proper technique and timing. Use a 2-minute timer while brushing. Sing tooth-brushing songs.

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Floss at least once a day – nighttime is the best time

Brush 2 times per day for two minutes, 2 dental checkups per year

Get a new toothbrush 3 times per year

# of wisdom teeth

# of baby teeth

# of adult teeth, minus the wisdom teeth

# of adult teeth in total

# of days per year that we need to brush!

Spread shaving cream on a surface, use fingers or toothbrushes to write letters and numbers related to dental care in the cream.

Paint various sized cutouts with a sponge, toothbrush, and fingers. Have participants describe how the sponge and bristles feel. Draw a “dental” letter or number in the paint.