"Brighter
Smiles for the New Generation" oral health education programme
for preschool children
Since
1993, the Oral Health Education Unit has been carrying out a region
wide preschool children oral health promotion programme named “Brighter
Smiles for the New Generation”. Its aim is to promote and foster
habits of good oral health care for children between 0 to 6 years
old.
We
have designed and produced a variety of education materials for
this programme. Using Maternal and Child Health Centres and Schools
(kindergartens and nurseries) as dissemination stations, we pass
along messages on oral health to children and their parents. Our
strategy is to encourage frontline workers such as nurses and teachers
to become oral health ambassadors to promote oral health knowledge.
In
Maternal and Child Health Centres, through one-to-one counselling
session or seminars, nurses provide infant’s oral health care methods
to parents. In kindergartens and nurseries, teachers can use the
teaching kit provided by us to teach children concepts on taking
care of their oral health. Children of different grades will receive
story books suitable for their level so that they can share it with
their parents at home. Moreover, kindergartens and nurseries can
organize trips to our “Brighter Smiles Playland” and children
can gain oral health knowledge by participating in our interactive
games and activities.
Brighter
Smiles Playland
Reception
Children will gether
here and enjoy a cartoon introducing the "Brighter Smile Playland".
Brushing
Family
Theme:
Toothbrushing
habit
Message:
Children
should brush their teeth in the morning and before bed at night,
using a toothbrush with the bristle head the size of a 20¢ coin
and a pea-size amount of children’s toothpaste. Parents should
also give their children supplementary brushing to ensure that their
teeth are thoroughly cleaned.
Activity:
Children learn the
above messages through story-telling and role play .
Audio
Visual Room
Childern will enjoy a
cartoon introducing the "Funful Dental Clinic" here and
then play the game.
Funful
Dental Clinic
Theme:
Annual dental check-up
habit
Message:
Children should have a dental check-up every. In order to help them
remember it, the check-up should be scheduled around their birthdays.
Activity:
Children watch a
cartoon which shows how the main character having a dental check-up
on his birthday. Then, they have role play in the funful dental clinic
and experience a happy journey in it.
Adventureland
Theme :
Tooth-friendly dietary
habit
Message:
In order to reduce the frequency of snacks, children should take
3 regular meals daily and water to quench thirst throughout the
day. However, if necessary, only one snack in between 2 meals is
recommended.
Activity:
Children learn our
theme through enjoying the pretended meals and activities.