In the month of May, Smith Mills Preschool and Kindergarten learned about community helpers with a few dental hygienists visiting the school.  Miss Justine, a past parent of Smith Mills Preschool and dental hygienist, volunteered to come in for her yearly visit with the children. Miss Stephanie and Miss Amy from Dr. Sean Ghassem-Zadeh’s office at SouthCoast Smiles Pediatric Dentistry also came in.  The hygienists went into each classroom and talked about dental hygiene. They discussed with the children what to expect when visiting the dentist for the first time or for a yearly visit. They taught them the proper way to brush using gentle round strokes and a back and forth motion. They brought props of healthy and unhealthy snacks and quizzed the children with a thumbs up or a thumbs down as to which ones fit into each category. The children each had a turn practicing brushing plaque off a “set of teeth” using the brushing techniques. The children were excited to go home and share all that the hygienists had taught them. The school looks forward to the hygienists returning next year.