Preschool Dental Lesson – Why the Dentist Fills Cavities
Preschoolers often have a hard time understanding why brushing their teeth and visiting the dentist is so important. Long term consequences are difficult for preschoolers to grasp so it helps to have a visual demonstration of what happens to their teeth if they don’t take care of them.
This simple preschool science activity helps preschoolers understand why dental health is so important. Preschoolers will understand this simple visual explanation of what cavities are and why it is important to brush their teeth well to prevent damage to their teeth.
What You Need
Kabob sticks (forks work if these are not available)
apples
A paper plate to store the apples on for a few days
What To Do
1 – What are Cavities? – Explain to preschooler that cavities are small holes that germs eat in their teeth if they are not cleaned. Brushing our teeth twice a day helps keep germs off of our teeth and prevent cavities. Tell preschoolers that when they have a cavity in their teeth, the dentist has to clean it out and fill it in with a special filling that stops the cavity from growing any bigger.
2 – Give each preschooler and apple and a kabob stick.
3 – Have preschoolers stick the kabob stick into their apple several times. Be sure and have the preschoolers do this slowly to avoid putting the kabob stick through their fingers.
4 – Ask preschoolers to describe what their apple looks like with the holes in it. Have them draw a picture of what their apple looks like right after poking holes in it.
5 – Let the apples sit on a paper plate for a few days. Have preschoolers observe it each day to look for any changes.
6 – After a few days, sit down with the preschoolers and talk about any changes that happened in the apple. Did the holes change color? Have preschoolers draw a picture of what their apple looks like after having holes in it for a few days.
7 – What do Cavities do to our Teeth? – Remind preschoolers that cavities are little holes that can grow in our own teeth if we do not brush them well. Ask preschoolers to talk about why they don’t want to get cavities in their teeth and why they think the dentist needs to fill them so they stop growing.
