March 6 is Dentist Day! Stars0 reviews (Do you like this day? Rate it!)

Dentist Day

March 6th is National Dentist Day. Read books about teeth, watch a fun Sesame Street video about tooth care, make a tooth puppet, eat snacks that are good for your teeth, and replace your old toothbrush with a new one! Oh, right, and don't forget to smile a lot today! :D

Books & Videos | Tooth Puppet & Toothbrush | Snacks for Good Teeth | Songs & Rhymes |

Books & Videos

  Doctor De Soto Doctor De Soto by William Steig
Dr. De Soto, a mouse dentist, copes with the toothaches of various animals except those with a taste for mice, until the day a fox comes to him in great pain.
  Dear Tooth Fairy Dear Tooth Fairy by Alan Durant
  Sesame Street: Brush Your Teeth Video Sesame Street: Brush Your Teeth Video
Watch this 5 minute video from Sesame Street on brushing your teeth.

Tooth Puppet & Toothbrush

Make the tooth puppet and toothbrush. Let your child practice brushing the puppets teeth. Then print out the puppet food and your child can feed the puppet the foods that are good for teeth.
Tooth Puppet & Toothbrush Tooth Puppet & Toothbrush
 
What You'll Need:
 
  • Paper plate
  • Mini marshmallows or packing peanuts
  • Glue
  • Popsicle stick
  • Pom-poms
  • PuppetFood.pdf

   
How To Make:
 

1. Fold a paper plate in half.
2. Decorate the face with markers or crayons.
3. Dip marshmallows or styrofoam in glue and place around the inside edges of the plate to make the teeth.
4. To make the toothbrush, glue some pom-poms onto a popsicle stick.
5. Download and print the 'Puppet Food' sheet to let your child choose which foods the puppet should eat for healthy teeth!
6. Have the puppet sing the 'Got My Toothpaste' song (see Songs).

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Snacks for Good Teeth

Snacks for Good Teeth
 
What You'll Need:
 
  • Apples, Carrots, Celery, Strawberries, Blueberries, Cheese, Oranges, Bananas

   
How To Make:
 

Apples
Apples are a good snack or lunch choice because of the fibrous texture. Eating an apple can help clean your teeth until you can brush them properly. Apple juice may contribute to tooth decay, but fresh apples are less likely to cause problems. This is because chewing the fruit stimulates your gums, reduces cavity-causing bacteria and increases saliva flow. Saliva decreases acidity in your mouth, washes away particles of food and prevents a decay-causing dry mouth.

Carrots
Chewing carrots, celery, or other fibrous or hard vegetables stimulates the gums. Strong, healthy gums are important to maintaining healthy teeth. Carrots and celery are good sources of beta carotene, which your body needs to create vitamin A - a nutrient essential for building strong teeth. One way to protect your teeth is by eating raw foods at the end of meals.

Blueberries
Although the dark pigment in berries can stain your teeth, they also contain polyphenols. These beneficial acids interfere with bacteria?s ability to adhere to tooth surfaces. Since bacteria causes gum disease and tooth decay, blueberries can improve your dental health. Blueberries can also help you avoid urinary tract infections because of their ability to inhibit bacteria?s ability to adhere to bladder tissues.

Strawberries
Strawberries contain malic acid, which is a natural teeth whitener!

Cheese
Casein - a milk protein - and whey protein in cheese have been shown to reduce the loss of minerals from tooth enamel. Chewing cheese also stimulates saliva flow which neutralizes the harmful acids that decay or erode teeth.

Bananas
Bananas are high in magnesium, which is also needed to help the enamel of the teeth form properly. Whole grain foods and spinach are also good sources of magnesium.

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Songs & Rhymes

 
  Got My Toothpaste by Unknown
Got my toothpaste, got my brush,
I won't hurry, I won't rush.
Making sure my teeth are clean,
Front and back and in between.
When I brush for quite a while,
I will have a happy smile!
 
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