Looking after your Teeth

Looking after your Teeth

Looking after your Teeth Copyright: KZNDoE, SASA and MIET Africa, 2013 ISBN: 978-0-9922031-0-8 Writing: Beverley Dyason (MIET Africa) Editing: Michael Main (MIET Africa) Proofreading: Shirley Moon Critical Reading: Colleagues from the KZNDoE Nutrition and Curriculum Directorates and the SASA Nutrition Department (Nireshnee Reddy, Duduzile Mthuli, Wendy Girven) Illustrations: Carol Howes Design: Wink in the Dark and MIET Africa Production: Megan Reuvers (MIET Africa) Developed and Published by: MIET Africa Looking after your Teeth South African Sugar Association Nutrition Department PO Box 700 Mount Edgecombe 4300 Tel: +27 31 508 7000 Fax: +27 31 508 7191 Email: nutrition@sasa.org.za KZNDoE Nutrition Directorate Call centre: 0860 596 363 Web: www.kzndoe.gov.za MIET Africa PO Box 37590 Overport 4067 Tel: +27 31 273 2300 Email: miet@miet.co.za Web: www.miet.co.za The development of this resource pack was funded by the South African Sugar Association.

Looking after your Teeth It was the day of the Grade 4 dental health screening. All the children lined up outside the hall waiting for their turn to see the nurse. Some of them were worried. I forgot to brush my teeth today. Billy said, I forgot to brush my teeth today! I hope the nurse doesn t shout at me. Ravi said, I feel scared. I ate a sweet yesterday, and I don t want to go! 2 3

Mrs Gumede, their teacher, said, Don t worry! The nurse won t hurt you or shout at you. She will check your teeth. If you have a cavity, she will give you a letter to go and get it fixed at a clinic. Don t worry, the nurse won t hurt you or shout at you. Sam wasn t worried or scared. She was excited. She looked after her teeth very carefully, and was sure that she would have the best teeth in her class. She said, I am really good. I brush my teeth every morning. I never eat sweets. I only eat sandwiches and fruit, like bananas. I bet my teeth will be perfect! 4 5

What a beautiful smile you have! At last, it was Sam s turn to see the nurse. Hello Sam, said the nurse. I am Sister Abrahams. What a beautiful smile you have! I can see that you care about your teeth. Oh yes, Sister! I look after my teeth very well. I always brush my teeth. I even brush my gums and my tongue, said Sam. That is good to hear Sam. Jump up onto the chair. Let us take a look at your teeth, said Sister Abrahams. Sam climbed onto the chair. 6 7

The nurse checked all of Sam s teeth. Then she said to Sam, Well done Sam! Your teeth look very good. But you have one tiny cavity. You need to have it fixed. The health workers will clean the cavity and put a filling in it. Then it won t get any bigger. I look after my teeth very well! How can I have a cavity? Oh! Sam said. She felt upset. The nurse saw that Sam was upset. What s wrong Sam? she asked. Sam said, I look after my teeth very well! I never eat sweets! How can I have a cavity? 8 9

Drink water after you eat. Sister Abrahams said, Sweets can harm your teeth. But so can other food! Foods like bananas, raisins and bread are very healthy, but they can get stuck in your teeth. They can mix with the plaque in your mouth and make an acid that causes cavities. Sister Abrahams asked Sam, How often do you brush your teeth? I brush my teeth every morning when I wake up, said Sam. Sister Abrahams said, That is good Sam, but you need to brush TWICE a day. You need to brush in the morning and again before you go to bed. She also said, Always drink water after you eat. That helps to wash away all the bits of food that get stuck. I want to tell everyone about it. Won t you show me where your classroom is? 10 11

Fruit, dairy, starch or a sweet, always drink water after you eat. Sister Abrahams spoke to everyone. She taught them how to look after their teeth. To prevent cavities and tooth decay, brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste twice a day. Then she said, Let s practise some rules for keeping your teeth healthy. To keep your teeth clean and white, brush in the morning and at night. Don t rush when you brush! Don t drink juice or take another bite after you brush your teeth at night. 12 13

Mrs Gumede thanked Sister Abrahams for her visit. The children promised to follow the rules for healthy teeth. Sam said, I am going to do everything you taught us today. Next time you visit, my teeth really will be perfect! 14

Looking after your Teeth is a Grade 4 reader about dental health care. It forms part of a pack of nutrition education resources in support of the Life Skills curriculum. The pack also contains: Teaching Nutrition in the Foundation and Intermediate Phases: a resource book for teachers, which includes nutrition information and CAPS compliant learner activities and worksheets as part of the Life Skills (Grade R 6) curriculum Food from around the World: a Grade 5 reader about dietary habits of different cultures A Case of the Runs: a Grade 6 detective story about food safety These nutrition education resources have been developed through a partnership between the South African Sugar Association (SASA), the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education (KZNDoE) and MIET Africa. The development of this resource pack was funded by the South African Sugar Association.