Monday, March 21, 2011

Keeping Smiles Brighter


Last week was the annual “Keeping Smiles Brighter” Poster Contest for Children’s Dental Health Month at the Ninth District Dental Association. As part of the Poster Contest Committee I have been one of the judges for many years.

While judging the posters we saw the usual themes: “brush your teeth to make them shiny and bright”, “brush away the germs so they don’t attack your teeth”, and “eat healthy foods to keep your mouth healthy.” There were a few drawings of trips to the dentist, kids with braces, and athletes wearing protective mouth guards. We also saw a few with super hero themes: the floss or toothbrush was the hero who saved the day. In addition to many entries in magic marker, crayons, colored pencils, and collage, we saw many more computer generated entries, particularly from technical high schools. The poster that made the biggest impression on me this year was one that looked like it had been part of a science presentation. It had accurate labeled drawings of the teeth in the mouth as well as a drawing of the anatomy of a tooth in cross-section. To the side of the detailed drawings was a paragraph including the statement “You should take care of your teeth because they are a gift from God.” Now that is a great message to think about.
(Just a note: The image above was not one of the posters.)

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