Grade Level: 3rd grade

Content Area: Personal and Community Health

Topic: Oral Health and Hygiene

Standards:
Essential Concepts: Identify positive health practices that reduce illness and disease.
Skills: Explain the positive health practices that can improve oral health.

Objectives:
Upon completion of the lesson, the students will:
1) List three reasons why teeth are important.
2) Define what plaque is.
3) Explain three food/drink sources that cause plaque.
4) List three different methods of oral hygiene.
5) Demonstrate how to brush their teeth.

Anticipatory Set (Introduction 5-10mins)

1. The teacher will ask students a question to get students thinking about why teeth are important.
a. Teacher will ask students: Name some things we do with our teeth.
i. Students will reply with possible answers - chewing, eating, and talking.
b. Teacher will ask students: How do you clean your mouth and teeth
i. Students will reply with possible answers - brushing teeth, flossing, mouthwash, going to the
dentist
2. Activity #1 for students
a. Teacher will have students illustrate how teeth are needed to talk.
i. Students will try to say three-thirsty thieves without their tongue touching their teeth.

Teaching Instructional Strategies (30 - 35 minutes)

Instructional Strategy
Lecture: Teacher will ask students the definition of oral health. The teacher will illustrate
the importance of proper oral health and care for teeth through a class video and
PowerPoint Slides.
Slide #1: What are Teeth?
Explain teeth are inside the mouth
Link to play video with an animation of teeth as child speaks. [BrainPopJr.com]
The animation will illustrate how teeth are held by jawbone, and gums cover both the bones and
teeth.
The animation will illustrate the roots how the root of the teeth are covered by the gums and the
crown is what they can see.
The animation will illustrate how enamel protects the crown, teeth.
The animation will define enamel as the hardest material in the whole body.
Slide #2: Why are teeth so important?
List: chewing, biting, talk, smiling, eating.
 Link to play video to show how teeth are used [BrainpopJr.com]
Slide #3: Why should you care for your teeth?
Explain how oral hygiene is connected to oral health.
(Image of various microscopic viruses and bacteria)
Did you know germs can make you sick. Viruses and bacteria are super
tiny to see, but they are everywhere - in the air, water, on our food, and all
over our bodies including inside our mouth.
After we eat our teeth are like a playground for bacteria.
Slide #4: What is plaque?
Plaque is a thin sticky substance layer of germs that forms on teeth. If the plaque is not properly
flossed or brushed, it can cause it can cause decay and possible tooth loss.
Slide #5: What causes plaque?
Drinking or eating items with a lot of sugar and foods with a lot of starch mix and make an acid.
Does anyone know what an acid is?
It makes holes in things and can damage and attack your teeth to make cavities.
Slide #6: BrainPop Jr. animation of plaque and how they cause cavities.
Slide #7: (Activity) Learning how a cavity grows.
Instructions: Each student will draw a tooth on a paper towel using a crayon. With a watercolor
marker, they will then draw a dot on the center of the tooth they have drawn. Each student will
add a drop of water to the dot then draw on the center. This will represent an acid attack and
visualize how a cavity spreads.
Teacher will ask students to give ideas how to prevent cavities, bad breath and plaque build-up.
Animated clips will be demonstrated. Examples of oral hygiene tools will be presented.
Animated video clips will be presented to demonstrate
teeth brushing,
how to
how much time to brush
how often
toothpaste amount
Flossing
what it is
how to use it
Mouthwash
Amounts
how much time to use
how to use
Tongue scraper
what it is
how to use it
Dental Check-ups
what to expect
why they are important
how often should you visit the dentist

Guided Practice
 Activity: Students will be given a disposable toothbrushes to demonstrate they know how to
brush their teeth.
While some students brush their teeth others will write down key terms to remember.
Teeth, Gums, Root, Crown, Enamel, Plaque, Cavity, Dental floss Dentist, brush

Closure
Students will take a 6 question quiz on paper to demonstrate oral health and hygiene knowledge
gained.
Teacher and students will discuss quiz responses.
1. Which food has a lot of calcium that can help you grow strong teeth?
a. Lollipop
b. Milk
c. Banana
d. Chicken
2. What is this part of the tooth called?
(Image of tooth with arrow pointing at root)
a. Root
b. Crown
c. Gums
d. pulp
3. About how long should you brush your teeth for?
a. about five minutes
b. about three minutes
c. about two minutes
d. about thirty seconds
4. Why is it important to brush your teeth?
a. to build muscles and exercise your lungs
b. to learn new words and their meanings
c. to grow stronger plaque between teeth
d. to clean and protect your gums and teeth
5. What should you do right after you eat a sugary snack?
a. Brush your teeth.
b. Take a long nap.
c. Go to the dentist.
d. Bake an apple pie.
6. Circle which items are good for your teeth?
Cupcakes Spinach Yogurt
Peanuts Sugary Cereal Soda

Independent Practice: Students will be assigned homework.

Brush your teeth for at least 2 minutes tonight and floss - make a habit to do this every day, twice
a day.
Talk to your parents about what you need to maintain good oral health and hygiene.

Material and Resources

 Computer
Screen
Cables
Paper towels
Markers
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Mouthwash
Floss
Tongue scraper
Quiz worksheets

Practicing health-enhancing behaviors:

Influence the use of various oral hygiene tools
a. Toothpaste
b. Toothbrush
c. Mouthwash
d. Floss
e. Tongue scraper

Health promotion:
Encourage healthy lifestyle habits.
 References

BrainPop (n.d.). Personal Hygiene. Retrieved April 10, 2017, from

https://www.brainpop.com/health/personalhealth/personalhygiene/

Caring For Teeth - BrainPOP Jr. (n.d.). Retrieved April 10, 2017, from

https://jr.brainpop.com/health/teeth/caringforteeth/

Happy Healthy Teeth. (n.d.). An Oral Health Education Program. Retrieved from

http://healthyteeth.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Happy-Healthy-Teeth-Program1-

preschool-grade-6.pdf

Mouth Healthy Kids. (2017). Smile Smarts Dental Health Curriculum. Retrieved from

http://www.mouthhealthykids.org/en/educators/smile-smarts-dental-health-curriculum