Early Years: Oral Hygiene
This lesson supports children to learn how to brush their teeth and to understand that we brush our teeth at least twice a day to avoid tooth decay.
Scroll down to find out more and to download the resources.
Learning objectives
All students will:
- Understand how to brush their teeth effectively
- Understand why it is important to brush our teeth
- Understand the link between sugar and tooth decay
Background Information
Dental health is extremely important; over 23% of children in England have tooth decay and it is the main reason for children aged 5 to 9 being admitted to hospital. Tooth decay is caused by bacteria within the plaque.
The good news is that tooth decay can be prevented by limiting the number of times we eat foods and drinks with added sugar, brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, and regularly seeing the dentist to check the health of our teeth and gums.
This lesson plan will support you to introduce the concept of oral hygiene to children and explain how to brush teeth effectively.
Activities
Main activity:- Mirror exercise and tooth brushing mime
- Tooth brushing chart
Curriculum links
Communication and language development:
- Listening and attention
- Understanding
- Speaking
Physical development:
- Health and self-care
Expressive arts and design:
- Exploring and using media and materials