Time to Teach

During a telephone interview with Dr. Thomas Kiefer who practices in Omaha, Nebraska, the subject of education arose. He mentioned that the education children receive on dental care is limited. In the Omaha public schools, around the third grade students are educated on the importance of proper dental care. Either the teacher, school nurse, or a local dentist comes into the classroom and gives a brief presentation. There is not much education or training after that. As students change schools and get older, they are required to take a few different health education classes. These are normally in the 6th grade and then again in high school. The health classes teach the changes that come with puberty and the harmful effects of drugs and alcohol. Nowhere in the classes do they touch on dental health. Dr. Kiefer said that puberty is a vital time in a child’s life. As their body changes, so does the care needed for their teeth. This would be an ideal time to re-teach students the importance of proper dental care and how to effectively get results. So many students are beginning to make their own decisions of what food to eat for lunch or snacks at these transition times. By providing more incentives to choosing healthy food, students may see why healthy decisions are important for more than just weight control.

The teachers do not have to be the ones to provide the information. The teachers or school nurses may not know enough themselves to properly teach the class. Even if the school provides adequate information, it may not be taken seriously by the students. It would be most beneficial from my standpoint, to bring someone in from outside the school. There are unlimited dentists who would be willing to come teach young adults the importance of dentistry. Another option would be to seek a dental school. There are students training to not only become dentists or specialists, but hygienists and assistants. Any of these people would be great resources to provide ample information for adolescents. The middle school or high school students would probably receive the information with more respect and take it to heart more than if it came from their teacher who taught them a wide range of subjects. By bringing in an expert, the students are more prone to listen and take their advice, or at least to think about what they are saying. By planting a thought in the students mind, the goal would be achieved.

Because teaching students is such an important part of continuing their education and making their oral health better, I will be discussing different approaches for teachers who can’t bring someone in from the outside to achieve this goal with the next few posts.