Dental Hygiene

I wanted to write about my dental hygiene lessons a long time ago but somehow I kept finding excuses not to. I wrote about dental hygiene in my town last year when I did a couple toothbrushing lessons. This year I went to a school in a different part of town. Family and friends from home were generous enough to donate toothbrushes and toothpaste so I was able to give every kid one of each. I hope that by having the materials, they will be a bit more proactive about brushing their teeth.
I started every lesson by discussing cavities and how they are caused. I asked the kids to explain to me what cavities are and how they would go about getting rid of them. Generally, most of the kids knew how to appropriately answer these questions. The problem was that many didn’t know how to properly brush their teeth and that very few of them ever actually brush their teeth. After the lesson in the classroom the teacher and I would bring all the kids outside for a group toothbrushing.  My sitemate, Briana, or I would take turns doing the demonstration while the kids followed along. The teachers often helped by reinforcing the message. We handed out toothbrushes and oftentimes had to show the kids the proper way to hold a toothbrush. We then gave them toothpaste and instructed them about the ideal amount they want to be putting on their toothbrush. After that, we began the demonstration. All the classes were rather successful and the kids really had a good time laughing at us goofy foreigners. 
Below are some photos from the lessons: