A Visit From the Dentist

Local dentist, Dr. David Mays and his sister, dental hygenist, Diane Dodds, visited Mrs. Dengel's second grade class on November 20th. They not only talked to the children about the importance of good oral health and how to achieve it; but they also brought with them some of the new technology that dentists use every day and did some role playing with the children. Dr. Mays showed the children a soft, pliable, plastic material that dentists use to fill teeth. He amazed the boys and girls by using a tool that resembles a tiny blow torch with a blue LED light emitting from it. This tool (seen in the photo above) is used to harden the plastic material when a cavity is filled. The plastic material bares a remarkable resemblence to porcelain once it hardens. Dr. Mays also circulated a display of teeth that showed the different shades of white that teeth come in. He explained to the children that he uses this model to match a crown, filling, or replace a tooth. He also displayed an x-ray that revealed the upper mouth of a child and the new plastic invisible braces that snap on over the teeth.

Mrs. Dengel's class was excited to learn that around the same time that Dr. Mays visited their classroom, their German friends in Erlangen, Germany had held a Health Fair at their school to learn about oral health, too.