Dental Health: The Importance of Healthy Teeth

30-40 minutes

1. Topic: Dental Health

Grade Level: 1st
2. Essential Question(s):
a. Do students understand why it is important to take care of their teeth?
b. Are students able to properly take care of their teeth by themselves?
3. Standards:
2.1.P.A.1
Develop an awareness of healthy habits (e.g., use clean tissues,
wash hands, handle food hygienically, brush teeth, and dress
appropriately for the weather).
2.1.P.A.2
Demonstrate emerging self-help skills (e.g., develop
independence when pouring, serving, and using utensils and
when dressing and brushing teeth).

4. Learning Objectives and Assessments

Objectives
SWBAT tell and discuss reasons why
healthy teeth are important.

Assessments
Students will write 1-3 sentences stating a
reason why it is important to brush their
teeth everyday.

SWBAT to determine what food is good vs. Students will demonstrate their knowledge
bad for dental health.
by being able to sort the foods into the
categories of healthy and unhealthy.

5. Materials:
Glue
Just Going to the Dentist by Mercer Mayer ( Golden Books 1990)
Scissors
Food Sorting Worksheet
Tooth Poem

6. Pre-lesson assignment and/or prior knowledge:

Students should be familiar with brushing their teeth twice a day. The
students should also have some understanding of why people brush their teeth
everyday.
7. Lesson Beginning:
The teacher will ask students to raise their hand if they brushed their teeth
this morning. The teacher will take a tally on the board showing a majority
of the class has brushed this morning. The teacher will then ask why did
the students brush their teeth. The students will then be asked why is it
important that we brush our teeth everyday.
8. Instructional Plan:
Students will be asked to raise their hands if they have been to the
dentist before. They will then have a think- pair-share talking to their
partner about the dentist.
Differentiation: Pre-determined partners
The students will report out different experiences about the dentist.
The teacher will then read Just Going to the Dentist to the students.
The teacher will then ask the students why do they think that the main
character had a cavity.
The teacher will then start a discussion on how to properly take care of
the students teeth by eating and brushing correctly.
Transition: The teacher will then read the healthy teeth poem that
discusses healthy and unhealthy food for their teeth.
The teacher will give names of different foods and drinks and ask the
students to determine if it is healthy or unhealthy for their teeth
Transition: The teacher will inform them that it is up to the students to
save the tooth by giving the tooth healthy food.
The students will be given a worksheet to sort the healthy food into the
tooth.
The students will be released to their desks to complete the tasks.
9. Questions:
Did you brush your teeth this morning?
Why do we brush our teeth?
Why is it important that we brush our teeth everyday?
Who has been to the dentist?
What happens at the dentist?
Why did the main character have a cavity?

10. Closure:
Students will then sign a contract promising to take care of their teeth. They will
take the contract home to share with their parents.