Lesson Plan
By: Lauren Fleming
HLED 450
Baby Teeth: Get the 411
Parents learn how to care for their child’s baby teeth
Population: Mothers/fathers/caregivers of young children
Subject: Dental Health
Overview of Lesson Plan: In this lesson, participants will actively engage in a discussion about baby
teeth by answering questions about dental health. Participants will learn why baby teeth are important,
when to have a child’s first dental screening, the main cause of tooth decay, what to use to clean a
babies gums, how to help prevent dental caries with nutrition and proper brushing techniques.
Participants will then discuss ideas about how to promote oral hygiene at home, how to perform the lift
the lip technique to check a child’s mouth for signs of decay and the importance of fluoride varnish.
Duration: About one hour
Objectives: Participants will be able to:
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Correctly identify the number one chronic illness in children.
Describe why baby teeth are important.
State when a child should have their first dental screening.
State whether dental caries being transmitted though kissing is a myth or a fact.
Identify the main cause of tooth decay.
Identify what to use to clean babies gums.
State how many times an adult or child should brush their teeth per day.
Identify how much toothpaste a child should use when brushing.
List healthy snacks for children.
Describe what to look for when performing the “Lift the Lip” technique.
Name two proper brushing techniques.
Describe one way to promote oral hygiene at home.
State when a child should first have fluoride varnish applied and how often it should be applied.
Resources/Materials:
-Paper and pens/pencils
-Classroom/ meeting room
-Computer and projector
-Internet
- Baby Teeth: Get the 411 (powerpoint)
-Dry erase board/chalk board
-Dry erase markers/ chalk
-Child toothpaste and finger brush
-Model teeth
-Toothbrush
-Copies of “Oral Health Quick Tips/ Oral Health Discussion Points” sheet from Children’s Health
Initiative/Public Health- Seattle & King County
-Copies of “Dental Care Offices for Children with DSHS Medical Coverage/ Dental Care for Adults with
reduced fee or DSHS medical coverage” sheet from
http://www.happyteeth.org/documents/DoubleSidedResourcesAdultPed.pdf
Activities/ Procedures:
1) Have participants take their seats and thank them all for coming.
2) Ask the participants if they think it is a myth or a fact that: dental disease is the number one chronic
illness in children? (Answer: fact)
3) Follow up the myth or fact question with explaining why baby teeth are important. Baby teeth are
important because: 1) they help children eat well and grow strong. 2) They help children learn to speak
clearly. 3) They help permanent teeth come in straight. 4) They can transmit cavities to permanent teeth
if not treated.
4) Discuss why dental disease is especially problematic in infants. (Dental disease can cause infants pain,
but the infants do not have the ability to tell you how much pain they are in).Explain that dental disease
can affect sleep, playfulness, and the ability to develop proper language skills.
5) Pose the question: When should your child get their first dental screening? Allow time for the
participants to make guesses. Next, reveal the answer (By the age of 1. The dental screening can be
performed by either a pediatrician or a dentist). Be sure to make it clear that a dental screening can be
performed by EITHER the child’s pediatrician or by a dentist.
6) Now ask the participants this myth or fact question: (Can you give your child dental caries by kissing
them?)Wait for the participants to respond and then reveal the answer (FACT! Tooth decay is an
infectious disease. Practice good oral hygiene to prevent the spread). Emphasize that if a parent has
tooth decay they can still kiss and show affection to their child but they should be sure to practice good
oral hygiene.
7) Move on to discuss the main cause of dental caries (cavities). Explain that the main cause of dental
caries is bacteria and the top three reasons for how children develop bacteria in their mouth are: 1)
Inherits bacteria from parents (kissing). 2) Bottles and nursing. 3) Sugary foods
(NOTE: At the
beginning of this section of the discussion be sure to explain the term “dental caries” is the medical term
for “cavities”).
8) Begin a discussion on nutrition by stating: How a baby eats affects whether or not they develop
dental caries. Ask the participants to name snacks they think cause cavities. Write their suggestions on
the board under the title “Unhealthy Snacks” (examples of unhealthy snacks: crackers, chips, cookies,
juice, cereal, candy). Next, ask the participants to come up with healthy alternatives to the snacks listed.
Record their answers on the board under the title “Healthy Snacks” (examples of healthy snacks: peas,
carrots, pears, bananas, apples). Explain that the foods in the unhealthy food lists contain more sugar
than the foods in the healthy snack list. State that bacteria use sugar to make acid which causes tooth
decay. On the board write the equation: bacteria + sugar=acid and acid= tooth decay. Use these
equations to help simplify this cycle.
9) Make a transition by saying, “We now know sugar causes tooth decay. So, Should you clean your
baby’s mouth if they do not have any teeth?” Wait for the participants to guess and then reveal the
answer. Answer: (Yes! Explain to the participants that they can use a damp washcloth or a soft finger
brush to wash their child’s gums). Show the example of a finger brush and pass it around. Explain that
participants can find soft finger brushes at their local grocery store or in the dental care section of a pet
store.
10) Ask the participants: (How many times a day should you brush your child’s teeth?) Reveal the
choices on the PowerPoint and wait for the participants to guess. After they guess, reveal the answer:
(Two times a day. Brush your child’s teeth once in the morning and once before bed. Don’t forget to also
floss once a day!)
11) Now pose the question: (How much toothpaste should your child use?) Reveal the choices on the
PowerPoint and wait for the participants to make a few guesses. Reveal the answer: (Children over the
age of two should use a rice sized amount of fluoride toothpaste).
12) Move on to the tooth brushing demonstration. Ask the participants: (How long should you brush
your child’s teeth for?) Wait for them to respond and then tell them the answer (2 minutes). Take out
the model teeth and the toothbrush. Explain that proper brushing involves 1 minute of brushing on the
bottom and one minute of brushing on the top. Explain that using small circular motions is the most
effective way to clean teeth because it removes plaque and doesn’t cut the gums. Demonstrate the
proper brushing techniques. Then pass the teeth around and allow the participants to practice proper
brushing techniques.
13) Break the participants up into small groups (at least 3 people per group). Tell the participants to
share ideas about how to promote good oral habits at home and how to get their children excited
about taking care of their teeth. In the small groups, allow each person to come up with at least one
idea. Then have them vote on one idea to share with the rest of the group. When everyone has voted,
come back together as a large group and share the ideas. Sample ideas: Light up toothbrushes, Wild
Flossers Dental Floss, gold star chart (child puts a gold star on a chart every time he/she brush his/her
teeth). Be sure to emphasize that modeling good oral habits and using enthusiasm (enthusiasm is
contagious) are some of the best techniques to motivate children to take care of their teeth.
14) Show the “promoting oral hygiene” slide to give examples of ways to motivate children to brush
their teeth.
15) Explain to the participants that along with promoting good oral hygiene at home it is important to
also check their child’s teeth for signs of decay. An excellent way to check a child’s teeth for signs of
decay is using the “lift the lip” technique. Show the video.
16) After showing the video, go over what to look for when checking a child’s teeth for signs of decay.
The three points that should be emphasized are: 1) Check the child’s gums and look for signs of swelling
and redness. 2) White spots on the teeth can be early signs of decay. 3) Brown spots on the teeth can be
more serious signs of decay. Be sure to emphasize that parents/caregivers seek advice from a
pediatrician or dentist if they believe their child has signs of tooth decay.
17) Move on to the topic of fluoride varnish. Explain that fluoride varnish can easily be painted on to a
child’s teeth. The main points to emphasize are fluoride varnish is used to: 1) Treat early signs of oral
disease. 2) Varnish helps inhibit the progression of disease and may help reverse the early cavities
themselves. 3) Can be applied in a doctor’s clinic or a dental clinic. 4) Children 12 months and up should
have fluoride varnish applied 2 or 3 times a year. 5) Ask a dentist or doctor about fluoride varnish.
18) Show the slide of what fluoride varnish looks like in order to give the participants a visual image.
19) At this point, some participants may be worried about not having access to healthcare. Emphasize:
Issues of eligibility and insurance should not keep a parent/caregiver from taking a child to the dentist or
pediatrician. Explain: (In WA State you can call your local health department and they can help you find
resources when you need it). Be sure to mention the Access to Baby and Child Dentistry (ABCD) program
and that the program helps link clients to dentists in their local area.
20) Show the contact information for the Whatcom County Health Department and allow the
participants to write down the information. (Provide paper and pens/pencils if need be).
21) Show the “pop quiz slide”. Reveal one question at a time. Let one participant respond to the
question and then ask if people agree. Then reveal the answer. Repeat this process for all questions.
Note: Make sure to ask a different participant for every question.
22) Thank the participants for coming to the meeting. Before they leave make sure each participant gets
one copy of the “Oral Health Discussion Points/ Oral Health Quick Tips” sheet and one copy of the
“Dental Care Offices for Children with DSHS Medical Coverage/ Dental Care for Adults with reduced fee
or DSHS medical coverage” sheet.
Evaluation/ Assessment: The evaluation will be based on verbal responses to the pop quiz from the
participants. Note: Ask at least 25% of the group the evaluation questions. The participants should be
able to respond with the correct answers to the following questions:
1) Dental disease is the number one chronic illness in children? Myth or fact?
Fact
2) Are baby teeth important? Yes or no?
Yes, because: they help a child eat well and grow strong; learn to speak clearly; help permanent
teeth come in straight; they can transmit cavities to permanent teeth if not treated
3) When should your child get their first dental screening?
By their 1st birthday
4) You can give your child dental caries by kissing them? Myth or fact?
Fact
5) What is the main cause of tooth decay?
Bacteria
6) Should you clean your baby’s mouth if they do not have teeth? If so, what should you use?
Yes, use a damp washcloth or a finger brush to clean the gums.
7) How many times a day should you and your child brush your teeth?
2
8) How much toothpaste should your child use? Rice, pea, or marble size drop?
Rice
9) List a few healthy snacks for children
Peas, apples, pears, carrots, bananas, etc
10) What should you look for when performing the “lift the lip” technique?
Signs of swelling or redness on the gums and white or brown spots on the teeth
11) Name two proper brushing techniques
1) Brush for two minutes
2) Use small circular motions when brushing
12) Name one way to promote oral hygiene at home.
Use enthusiasm, model good oral hygiene; use light-up toothbrushes, etc.
13) At what age should a child first have fluoride varnish applied AND how often should it be
applied?
Age 12 months
Should be applied 2-3 times a year