On November 29, 2018, the B.E.S.T. team headed towards Westwood Elementary School, a Cincinnati Public School, for an enjoyable and educational afternoon of oral health lessons, experiments, and games. The volunteers, with the help of adult chaperones, split into two groups to conduct the oral healthcare workshops; one classroom consisted of Diana Yue, Liz Radway, and Marc-Aurele Lallement. The other consisted of Sumaiya Hossain, Sean Lu, and Vivek Alamuri.
The unforgettable experience began with the distribution of oral health surveys to the children -- another addition to the bountiful research that B.E.S.T. has skillfully collected over the past few years. Next, the volunteers provided the students with crucial information regarding oral healthcare, including the composition of a tooth, cavities, gum disease, proper methods of taking care of one’s teeth, and fluoride. A key aspect of the workshop was the egg in fluoride experiment. The purpose of the experiment was to demonstrate the powerful impact of fluoride in protecting one’s teeth. Essentially, one egg was placed in soda, while the other was placed in mouthwash containing fluoride. Next, each egg was placed in a container with vinegar. As expected, the egg placed in the soda reacted with the vinegar, while the egg placed in the fluoride did not. Through the scientific experiment, the kids were able to visually comprehend the significant effect of fluoride in forming a protective shell around the teeth, hopefully encouraging them to partake in the usage of fluoride products.
Ultimately, the workshop came to an end with the distribution of oral healthcare products, such as toothbrushes and toothpaste. Donations of new toothbrushes and toothpaste, with the generous help of local sponsors, were given to the students at Westwood Elementary School. We believe the workshop was a successful endeavor in helping provide quality oral healthcare education to students across the world.
- Sumaiya Hossain
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