Good dental care for children is presented in this film. Teeth are made from the food we eat. A smiling girl sits at a table eating a meal. A diagram shows the parts of a tooth as a pointer indicates the parts. The right foods are necessary for good teeth. Vigorous chewing helps to make strong teeth. Stain and deposits lead to decay. A mouthful of decayed teeth is shown. The dental hygienist helps to keep the mouth healthy. A woman dental hygienist is shown in a dental clinic greeting a boy patient. The child gets into the dentist's chair and has a towel put over his chest.

Dr. Benjamin Spock, noted pediatrician, discusses community water fluoridation--its safety, low cost, and effectiveness in reducing dental caries. Advice to parents and facts about community water fluoridation are presented in Dr. Spock's own warm, inimitable manner.

The dangers of dental caries and how to prevent them are emphasized in this film. A class of grade-school children learn about the teeth. Written on the board are questions and answers: Why you need teeth--to cut and grind food--a model set of teeth is used to demonstrate chewing; to give form to the face--this is shown on models of heads and teeth of people with malocclusions; to aid personal appearance--shown in footage of a boy before and after repair of his teeth. The causes of caries in teeth are presented using a large model tooth. Immediate repair is advocated.

Good dental health is stressed in the story of two grade-school children who must prepare a report on oral hygiene. They go to visit a children's dentist. The dentist is busy cleaning a girl's teeth, then showing her her yearly mouth X-rays. The female dental assistant shows the two students a book about teeth containing pictures of second teeth forming behind the deciduous teeth. The assistant takes the children to see an orthodontist where they are shown drawings and casts of teeth from birth to teenage.

This film stresses the importance of routine oral examination to detect infections or early diagnosis of oral cancer. Dr. Robert Johnson demonstrates a routine oral exam while explaining the procedure. The film also shows oral cancers in their early stages of development. The film concludes with an appeal by the Chief of the U.S. Public Health Service's Cancer Control Program, Dr. William L. Ross. He urges dentists to examine and test for oral cancer, arguing that the patient's overall health, not just their teeth, is the dental practioner's responsibility.

This film describes fluoridation research, the benefits of adding fluoride to community water supplies, and various types of fluoride and methods of adding it. Grand Rapids, Michigan is presented as the earliest test case of public water fluoridation, and decreases in the incidence of tooth decay in that city are illustrated with bar charts and statistics. Learn more about this film and search its transcript at NLM Digital Collections: http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/8600895A.

This film, aimed at children of primary school age, presents the principles of good dental care. A narrator explains the basic steps to be followed in order to keep the teeth healthy as, in animation, a family of mother, father, sister, brother, and baby illustrates those steps. The action begins with the baby cutting his first tooth. The role of the teeth in cutting and grinding is outlined. The family is shown eating foods which help to keep teeth strong and healthy--carrots, apples, celery, and salad. How decay rots a tooth is illustrated.

As colorful stylized puppets, three small boys find the lost civilization of No-De-Kay deep in the jungle after some frightening encounters. They discover that the secret of No-De-Kay is proper toothbrushing by deciphering the hieroglyphic-like inscriptions on the pedestal of the jeweled toothbrush. The boys demonstrate the deciphered instructions for the proper and effective use of the toothbrush. They are welcomed as heroes when they return home with their discovery.

This film shows the importance of regular visits to the dentist using two hand puppets, "Dottie," a mischievous little girl, and the "dentist." This film is effective in interesting youngsters of pre-school age and in primary school grades about the fundamentals of oral hygiene. In addition, parents can pick up pointers on teaching youngsters why personal care is so important to dental health. Proper diet is one of the subjects mentioned.

The importance of a healthy, charming smile from childhood to old age is stressed. Good teeth are necessary for a good smile. Proper dental care begins in utero. A physician shows a pregnant woman a chart picturing the foods she should eat. Regular visits to the dentist should begin at about age two years. A dentist waiting room filled with children is shown. A toddler and little boy are examined by the dentist in his surgery. Care of the temporary teeth is advocated. The dentist shows the boy how to brush his teeth.

This program discusses the techniques dentists can use to detect oral cancer. The program begins with an examination of a patient who has had oral cancer and emphasizes the importance of early detection to prevent metastases. The program stresses that cancer in different oral sites presents with different problems. The presentation includes the symptoms, incidence and distribution of cancer of the lower lip, tongue and floor of the mouth. The program presents a routine examination with emphasis on the symptoms representative of cancer.

This film tells the story of how one community brought the benefits of fluoridated water to its children, how the dentists, the health officers, the mayor, the waterworks engineer, and citizens got together and fought for fluoridation before it was the widely recognized public health measure it is today. Based in part on the story of how the people of Newark, Delaware added fluoride to their water supply, the film vividly portrays the down-to-earth situations that exist in every community, the typical conflicts, the doubts about fluoridation, and the evidence for it.

This film details how dentists can serve people who are elderly, ill, and/or homebound. A dentist and his assistant are shown making home visits and providing care using portable equipment to people who appear to be confined to bed. Dental staff demonstrate how to adapt an office setting and procedures to meet the needs of a person in a wheelchair or who otherwise may need special attention, such as someone with diabetes. The process of making dentures for a homebound person is shown, with every step carried out at the patient's bedside.

This film tells the story of an average American family, in particular Danny, the young son in the family, and their approach to dental care. Attitudes toward dentistry and dental habits good and bad are explored, with an emphasis on the consequences of ignoring the importance of oral health. Out of their experiences come the lessons that lead to good dental health: the need for preventive dentistry and early dental care, the need for regular checkups and early treatment of decayed teeth, and the desirability of proper nutrition and careful mouth hygiene. Narrated by Lowell Thomas.

Through the use of a compact series of explanatory examples, this film points out the value of modern dental care with emphasis on the use of fluorides, focusing especially on school-age children and how dental care and education can be delivered in that environment The film describes how a rural community organizes a topical fluoride program and how an urban community institutes fluoridation of the public water supply. Learn more about this film and search its transcript at NLM Digital Collections: http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/9605135.