Lesson 2.2: Good Oral Health

Overview

This lesson focuses on the mouth and teeth. Proper care, common problems, and goal setting for good dental hygiene are discussed.

Learning Targets

  • Identify the types of teeth in your mouth and the functions of each.
  • Explain how to properly brush and floss the teeth.
  • Explain common oral health concerns and problems.
  • Use goal setting to enhance oral hygiene and oral health care.

Preparation

For the Warm-Up Activity: Write the journal question on the board, or identify (and copy as needed) the worksheets you plan to use:

For the Content Focus: Open the Lesson 2.2 PowerPoint slides, or make copies of the Lesson 2.2 Note-Taking Guide.

For the Lesson Focus: Copy the Lesson 2.2 Skill-Building Challenge Worksheet: Goal Setting for Good Oral Health.

Warm-Up Activity

Select a warm-up activity to help get your class focused and on task.

  • Journal Question: When was the last time you flossed your teeth or had them flossed? Do you think flossing is important? Why or why not?
    • Option: Write or project the question, and have students respond in their journals as they enter class.
    • Option: Have students discuss the questions with a partner or in a small group.
  • Vocabulary Review: Have students work individually, in partners, or in small groups to complete the Lesson 2.2 Vocabulary Review Worksheet.
  • Quiz: Have students complete the Lesson 2.2 Quiz to assess their prior knowledge.
    • Option: Collect the quizzes, and use them alongside posttests to demonstrate student learning.
    • Option: Have students share their answers with a partner and then go over the answers together as a class.

Lesson Content

Review the content from the textbook lesson.

Option: Use the Lesson 2.2 PowerPoint slides to review the chapter content.

Option: Have students use the Lesson 2.2 Note-Taking Guide to review chapter content. Ask students to work alone, in pairs, or in small groups. Review the questions as a class if time permits.

Lesson Focus: Goal Setting for Good Oral Health

  1. Provide each student with a copy of the Skill-Building Challenge Worksheet: Goal Setting for Good Oral Health.
  2. Have students work individually to complete the worksheet.
  3. Ask students to pair up and share their responses.
  4. Ask for student volunteers to share their SMART goal for good oral health with the whole class. Write their goal on the board. Ask the student to explain how their goal is specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely (one at a time). If any gaps are found, have the student or another class member explain how they could change the goal to address those gaps.

Challenge Activity

Have students who need an additional challenge work on the following critical-thinking task.

Poor dental health can negatively affect your overall well-being. Why do you think this is? Research the relationship between oral health and general health to help you answer this question.

Reflection and Summary

Review the critical content from today’s lesson. Review the learning targets, and ask students to answer each question posed.

Can you…

  • Identify the types of teeth in your mouth and the functions of each?
    • Incisors—in the front of your mouth. Used to take bites of food. (8 total)
    • Canines—your “fangs” or long teeth. Used to rip food apart. (4 total)
    • Premolars: next to your canine teeth. Used to chew and grind food. (8 total)
    • Molars: largest teeth in your mouth. Used for chewing and grinding food. (8 total)
    • Wisdom teeth—these are the last molars to grow in the back of your mouth.
  • Explain how to properly brush and floss the teeth?
    • How to brush teeth properly:
      1. Pick a soft toothbrush. This is very important. A soft brush will allow the bristles of the brush to get up and under the gum line. This helps remove harmful bacteria. Cover the top surface of the brush with toothpaste, and wet the brush with water.
      2. Brush the outer surface of the teeth by placing the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle. Use a vibrating back-and-forth and rolling motion, and try to spend 10 seconds on each tooth.
      3. Repeat step 2 on the inner surface of the teeth.
      4. Brush up and down on the back surface of the upper and lower front teeth.
      5. Use moderate pressure to brush the top surfaces of your teeth using a back-and-forth motion.
      6. Gently brush the surface of the tongue from back to front. This helps remove bacteria and freshens the breath.
    • How to floss the teeth properly:
      1. Use about 18 inches of floss, and wind it around your middle or pointer finger.
      2. Hold the floss tightly, and gently insert it between the teeth.
      3. Gently curve the floss along the gum line, following the curve of the tooth.
      4. Rub the floss gently up and down to remove anything stuck between the teeth. If the floss gets stuck between your teeth, let go of the floss with one hand, and very slowly pull the length of the floss through your teeth until it is out.
      5. Floss all your teeth, including behind the last molars.
  • Explain common oral health concerns and problems?
    • Crooked or crowded teeth
      • Most of us would love a perfect smile.
      • Forty-five percent of kids could benefit from having braces to straighten their teeth and improve the function of the mouth.
    • Wisdom teeth
      • Begin to grow in around ages 18-20 and could cause the teeth to be crowded
      • May need to be pulled to allow enough space for the other teeth, a common procedure that does not negatively affect the function of the mouth
    • Tooth decay
      • The destruction of some part of the tooth; can affect the outer layer and the inside of the tooth
      • Occurs when foods containing carbohydrates, such as cereal, soda, and candy, are left on the teeth
      • Plaque forms, which is a colorless, sticky film that coats the tooth and dissolves the protective enamel on the tooth.
      • If plaque sits on the tooth and causes a hole, it is called a cavity, which must be treated by a dentist.
    • Gum disease
      • Gums are the soft tissue around your teeth, which help protect the root of the tooth and keep your teeth in place.
      • Gum disease happens when plaque and tartar build up on the teeth. The bacteria in the plaque makes the gums become swollen.
      • When the gums become inflamed, it is called gingivitis.
    • Cold sores
      • A common infection caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV)
      • Causes small blisters on and around your lips
      • Contagious and can be spread by close contact, such as kissing
    • Bad breath (also called halitosis)
      • Caused by a variety of hygiene factors, such as food in teeth, tobacco use, poor dental hygiene, and other things, or from common diseases, such as diabetes
    • Teeth grinding (also called bruxism)
      • Stress and anxiety are common causes.
      • People clench their jaw while awake or grind their teeth in their sleep.
      • Symptoms include flattened teeth, worn tooth enamel, and headaches.
  • Use goal setting to enhance oral hygiene and oral health care?
    • When you think about setting a goal for improving your dental hygiene, think about whether you brush and floss enough and you follow the guidelines.
    • Make sure your goal is SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely).
      • Specific: Instead of saying “I will have good oral hygiene” be specific by saying “I will brush and floss my teeth.”
      • Measurable: Make sure your goal is something you can measure or count. “I will brush my teeth two times each day” or “I will brush each tooth for 10 seconds.”
      • Achievable: Make sure your goal lines up with best practice. “I will brush each tooth for 10 seconds” is accurate; “I will brush each tooth for five seconds” does not match the guidelines for good brushing.
      • Realistic: Make sure the goal you set is something you think you can actually do. It may not be realistic to say “I will brush my teeth after every meal” if you don’t have a convenient place to brush when away from home.
      • Timely: Make sure your goal has a time frame so that you know when to reflect on your progress, for example, “I will brush my teeth two times each day for two weeks.”

Assessment

Complete one or more of the following assessment tasks for this lesson.

  • Quiz: Have students take the Lesson 2.2 Quiz.
  • Vocabulary Review: Collect the Lesson 2.2 Vocabulary Review Worksheets, and evaluate them for accuracy.
  • Note-Taking Guide: Collect the completed Lesson 2.2 Note-Taking Guides, and spot check one or more items for completion and accuracy.
  • Skill-Building Worksheet: Have students submit the Skill-Building Challenge Worksheet: Goal Setting for Good Oral Health and use the Holistic Rubric: Goal Setting to evaluate their skill development.
  • Journal Question: Ask students to respond to the journal question again, adding information they learned from today’s class. Require a one-paragraph response that uses proper grammar.

Take It Home

Research common dental diseases and conditions and select one to learn more about. Identify the causes of the disease or condition and learn how it is treated. Write a short summary of what you find.