Dental school invites children to visit museum
The West Virginia University School of Dentistry is inviting children to visit the Museum of Dentistry to celebrate National Dental Hygiene Month.
The school will offer tours to children from kindergarten to third grade in a bid to raise awareness of the importance of oral health and encourage children to take good care of their teeth and gums. Children will visit eight hands-on interactive exhibits, which will teach them about oral hygiene, the effects of smoking, healthy eating and the structure of the tooth.
Louise Veselicky, interim Dean of the dental school, said the museum tours were an enjoyable and fun way to teach children about oral hygiene and looking after their teeth. The exhibits will hopefully encourage children to think about what they are eating and adopt a good daily oral hygiene routine.
The museum’s exhibits have been designed to provide a fun, exciting learning environment for children, so that they take an interest in oral health and think about lifestyle habits and dental health in the future.
Staff at the museum are also keen to attract adults to the museum to raise awareness of oral health in the wider community; an increasing number of studies are linking poor oral health to serious medical problems, including heart disease and strokes but most people are unaware of the consequences of poor oral health. The museum will enable people to learn about their mouth and to equip them with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions in the future.
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