The Payson Roundup / PHS students help educate fifth-graders about dental hygiene

Archive for Tuesday, March 9, 2010

March 9, 2010

A dental education exercise was conducted by Payson High School students March 2, 3 and 4, at Frontier Elementary School. Participating as teeth about to be flossed are Jed Buce, Dalton Perkes and Matthew Fink.

Photo by Andy Towle

Sandra Lewinson is caught by surprise during the flossing session. Two PHS students (photo at right) hand out a questionnaire after the fifth-graders in this class were given instruction on dental hygiene.

Photo by Andy Towle

Two PHS students hand out a questionnaire after the fifth-graders in this class were given instruction on dental hygiene.

Payson High School students in Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA) recently educated fifth-graders at Frontier Elementary School about dental hygiene, and the causes and implications of tooth decay.

In one activity students used vinegar, soft drinks and egg shells in a simulation of teeth decomposition. The HOSA members explained to the elementary students that most soft drinks contain acid, and prolonged exposure to acid can permanently damage teeth or cause the loss of hard tissues from the tooth surface.

Students also explained the role of soft drinks in the development of tooth decay, and that increased sugar in the diet increases the risk of tooth decay.

In another activity called “Floss or Loss,” the elementary students learned that brushing alone isn’t enough to clean all of the plaque from tooth surface. Daily flossing and regular visits to the dentist are the only effective ways to remove plaque.