Page 140 - Petelin, Ana, et al. 2019. Eds. Zdravje otrok in mladostnikov / Health of Children and Adolescents. Proceedings. Koper: University of Primorska Press
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avje otrok in mladostnikov | health of children and adolescents 138 Introduction
An example of good practice
In Health Centre Velenje, nurses in dental education and prevention in kin-
dergartens are included several times a year at intervals of at least one month.
By doing so, we allow pre-school children to obtain appropriate hygiene hab-
its that are important for maintaining health. In their active workshops, nurs-
es use several accessories: dolls, stories, interactive games, large toothbrushes
and toothpastes, posters and various tooth designs. All these devices, proven,
can improve the purpose of the workshop, which is the improvement of oral
hygiene (Gibbs et al., 2015; Johan et al., 2013). Each workshop then follows the
active teeth brushing in groups of children. We will present workshops in the
kindergarten by segments or topics that follow in a sequence.
First visit in kindergarten: Why do we need teeth?
With children in kindergartens, a nurse first observes her body (legs, fingers,
hull, arms, head,...) and then compares all of these observations with children,
and they continue with their friends and educators. Together we find out why
there are such differences between us. Then we focus more on the head, the
oral cavity and what is hidden in it. We focus on the teeth shown by the nurse
on the model and talking about their meaning. It emphasizes the importance
of proper nutrition (biting, chewing ...), proper speech and aesthetically pleas-
ing appearance.
Second visit in kindergarten: Milk and permanent teeth and arrival
of a tooth mouse
The nurse workshop starts with a story about the tooth mouse, followed by the
observation of the mouth and teeth in them. Followed by practical observation
on the body: With one hand we take the nose, we take the ear with the other
hand. A finger that slides slowly toward the upper lip of our nose, we suggest
that something is hidden underneath it and find out what it is. Then the finger
on the lip slowly moves toward the hand, which is on the ears, and the teeth we
touch under the lip. Then the nurse on the table prepares mirrors so that the
children can look at their teeth-open their mouth wide and together we count
how many teeth are in the mouth, and all this is recorded on the learning leaf.
The model identifies the differences between milk and permanent teeth. We
find out what kind of teeth adults have and why they are different.
Third visit in kindergarten: Healthy teeth - sick teeth
The nurse together with the children identifies and teaches how healthy teeth
look and what kind of teeth they are when they get sick. Together we are talk-
ing about why teeth get sick and who is to blame for this to happen. This is il-
lustrated by the pain of falling: children explain what they feel when they fall,
they hit and cry because they hurt - we do not like pain. So we want to tell them
An example of good practice
In Health Centre Velenje, nurses in dental education and prevention in kin-
dergartens are included several times a year at intervals of at least one month.
By doing so, we allow pre-school children to obtain appropriate hygiene hab-
its that are important for maintaining health. In their active workshops, nurs-
es use several accessories: dolls, stories, interactive games, large toothbrushes
and toothpastes, posters and various tooth designs. All these devices, proven,
can improve the purpose of the workshop, which is the improvement of oral
hygiene (Gibbs et al., 2015; Johan et al., 2013). Each workshop then follows the
active teeth brushing in groups of children. We will present workshops in the
kindergarten by segments or topics that follow in a sequence.
First visit in kindergarten: Why do we need teeth?
With children in kindergartens, a nurse first observes her body (legs, fingers,
hull, arms, head,...) and then compares all of these observations with children,
and they continue with their friends and educators. Together we find out why
there are such differences between us. Then we focus more on the head, the
oral cavity and what is hidden in it. We focus on the teeth shown by the nurse
on the model and talking about their meaning. It emphasizes the importance
of proper nutrition (biting, chewing ...), proper speech and aesthetically pleas-
ing appearance.
Second visit in kindergarten: Milk and permanent teeth and arrival
of a tooth mouse
The nurse workshop starts with a story about the tooth mouse, followed by the
observation of the mouth and teeth in them. Followed by practical observation
on the body: With one hand we take the nose, we take the ear with the other
hand. A finger that slides slowly toward the upper lip of our nose, we suggest
that something is hidden underneath it and find out what it is. Then the finger
on the lip slowly moves toward the hand, which is on the ears, and the teeth we
touch under the lip. Then the nurse on the table prepares mirrors so that the
children can look at their teeth-open their mouth wide and together we count
how many teeth are in the mouth, and all this is recorded on the learning leaf.
The model identifies the differences between milk and permanent teeth. We
find out what kind of teeth adults have and why they are different.
Third visit in kindergarten: Healthy teeth - sick teeth
The nurse together with the children identifies and teaches how healthy teeth
look and what kind of teeth they are when they get sick. Together we are talk-
ing about why teeth get sick and who is to blame for this to happen. This is il-
lustrated by the pain of falling: children explain what they feel when they fall,
they hit and cry because they hurt - we do not like pain. So we want to tell them
