By Scott Mitchell Johnson
Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Stan the Sad Tooth and Harry the Happy Tooth recently helped put smiles on the faces of first- and second-graders at Pine Street Elementary School.
In observance of National Children’s Dental Health Month, Dr. Erik Johnson, pediatric dentist at the St. Apollonia Dental Clinic, visited the students Feb. 28 and shared the importance of good dental hygiene.
“This was new for me; I’ve not gone into schools before,” said Johnson. “When I’m at the office, I have one-on-one contact with the family and the kids. This way I’m able to speak with 20-plus kids at a time, and it’s been great.
“We tried to give them the foundation in brushing, flossing and how to keep their teeth clean,” he said. “We also talked about health and nutrition, the importance of healthy snacks, and why it’s important to wear mouth guards when playing sports. We want the kids to know that coming to the dentist can be fun, and now they know one.”
Johnson was joined by dental assistants Lyndsey Lynch and Donna Green.
“A friend of mine, Louise Bouchard, is a first-grade teacher in Van Buren, so she and I had been talking about getting into the classrooms,” said Johnson. “My staff did a great job creating some interactive games that the kids would like.”
With one activity, the children each selected a picture of either a food or drink item and they then had to identify which foods made Stan sad and which ones made Harry happy by affixing the picture to the correct poster.
“That activity talked about teeth and healthy nutrition,” said Johnson, “and it worked out very well.”
Another activity saw a child put on Johnson’s smock, as well as a mask and gloves, while Johnson wore a rubber glove, with each finger representing teeth. One of his assistants then put butter on the glove to replicate bacteria, or “cavity bugs.” The young “dentist” then brushed and flossed the “teeth,” while later another student practiced brushing and flossing with a dental model.
First-graders Alivia Smart and Brent Greenlaw enjoyed the presentation.
“I learned that you shouldn’t eat unhealthy stuff; you can eat it once in a while, but you shouldn’t eat it all the time because it can hurt your teeth,” said Smart. “You should eat things like cucumbers; I really like them, and I like going to the dentist. It’s really fun.”
“You should brush your teeth twice a day and you should also floss,” said Greenlaw, proudly noting that he has lost seven baby teeth. “You also shouldn’t eat a lot of unhealthy food because it’s not good for you.”
Johnson said he was pleased with the school visitations.
“I was surprised how well the kids did with identifying where the sugary snacks went,” he said. “I threw a few tricky ones in like sugary raisins. Most kids think raisins would be healthy, but the fact that they can get stuck in-between the teeth and cause cavities was a good education for them. Others think snacks like pretzels and Doritos are healthy for them, but they have sugar in them and are not that healthy for their teeth and gums, or their whole body.
“Overall they did very well, and it caused them to think about their choices, and that’s what they’re going to do when they’re at a supermarket or picking out a snack for themselves,” said Johnson.
Following the Pine Street visit, Johnson and his assistants traveled to the Teague Park Elementary School in Caribou. They will be visiting schools in Van Buren this week.
