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Pink Hippo Helps to Teach Dental Hygiene
Sara, a very
toothy, pink hippo, from the OU Health Sciences
Center College of Dentistry visited the direct
care specialist staff and inpatients at the
J. D. McCarty Center Friday. The hippo accompanied
senior dental hygienist students Meta Zimmer
and Hien Nguyen. The trio was at the hospital
as a part of Zimmer and Nguyen's senior community
out reach project.
According to Jerrie Hulet,
McCarty Center's registered nurse in charge
of clinics, Zimmer and Hien presented an educational
program covering the importance of proper brushing,
flossing and nutrition for healthy teeth and
gums.
"Dental care
is very important for our patients," explained
Hulet. "Some of the medications that children
with developmental disabilities are on have
side effects that make the patients susceptible
to tooth and gum issues. A program like this
one taught today is always a timely subject
for our staff and patients."
Zimmer and Nguyen
used Sara, the very toothy, pink hippo, to demonstrate
proper brushing techniques. The children and
staff were then given the opportunity to demonstrate
what they had learned by brushing Sara's teeth
with an over sized toothbrush. "Sara was
very popular with the patients," said Hulet.
A very large over sized set of teeth was used
to show the proper technique for flossing.
After the formal
presentation, Zimmer and Nguyen passed out toothpaste
and toothbrushes to all the inpatients.
Zimmer and Nguyen
will graduate this spring and hope to begin
their practice of dental hygiene in the Oklahoma
City area.
The J. D. McCarty
Center is Oklahoma's center of excellence in
the care and treatment of children with developmental
disabilities from birth to 21. Founded in 1946,
the McCarty Center treated only one diagnosis…cerebral
palsy. Today, the hospital has treated more
than 70 different diagnoses in the developmental
disability category.
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| Meta Zimmer, senior dental
hygienist student at the University of Oklahoma
Health Sciences Center College of Dentistry,
uses Sara the toothy, pink hippo to demonstrate
proper brushing techniques to McCarty Center
patient Zen Deerleader and McCarty Center
direct care specialist Laura Hurley. Zimmer
was at the McCarty Center teaching dental
hygiene methods to the staff and patients
as a part of her senior community outreach
project. |
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