30
|
Volume2 Issue6
Kids,don’tforget
tobrushyourteeth!
MakingLearningFun
Inspired to make a difference, Laura and Bill
created an educational program, “
Don’t Forget
toBrushYour Teeth (DFTBYT
),” that they, along
with their colleague, hygienist Melissa Holmes,
presented in elementary schools throughout
the Niagara region. Using hands-on activities
and theatrical flourishes to engage its young
audience, the program helped children discov-
er that it’s also their responsibility tomake smart
choices about takingcareof their teeth.
“After our visits to schools, principals tolduswe
made an impact—wemadehealthy foods
a cool choice for children. Many childrendon’t
understand the cavity process, but when they
learnabout plaqueandbacteria, theyaremuch
more empowered and more likely to make
good food choices and brush and floss,” says
Laura. The Schneiders presented DFTBYT to
over 15,000 kids in their 6 years of running the
program, but doing a live show had its limita-
tions. High demand for the program (some-
times booking up a year and a half in advance)
meant they couldn’t reach asmany children as
theywanted to.
LauraandDr.William
Schneider.
Laura Schneider has worked chairside with her husband Dr. William (Bill) Schneider for over 30 years.
Their experiences at their dental practice in Ridgeway, Ontario, motivated them to come upwith new
ways to prevent or stop the succession of oral health problems they saw unfolding in somany young
patients. “Childrenwere coming inwith lots of cavities andparents couldn’t understand it; theyweren’t
aware that the treats and juices they were giving their childrenwere part of the problem,” says Laura.
“We’ve seenbaby-bottle syndrome, bottlesfilledwithpoporKool-Aidandkidswith19cavities. Theprob-
lemhasgrownover theyears intoone that crosses socio-economicboundaries.”
