Dentistry


Dentistry
BSA Supply No. 35882

Teeth do a lot more than just peek out from under that winning smile. They have all sorts of duties, and having healthy teeth will help a person to eat, speak, and look great.

Requirements

  1. Using x-ray (radiographic) films and with your counselor's guidance, study the tooth structure and look for decay. Then do the following:
    1. Using the radiographs as a guide, draw a lower molar. Label its parts and surfaces. Show surrounding structures such as bone and gum tissues.
    2. Show on your drawing where the nerves and blood vessels enter the tooth.
    3. Show on your drawing where bacterial plaque is most likely to be found.
  2. Do the following:
    1. Tell or write about what causes dental decay and gum disease. Tell how each of the following contributes to dental decay and gum disease: bacterial plaque, sugars, and acid.
    2. Tell the possible causes for traumatic tooth loss, describe the types of mouth guards used to help prevent tooth trauma, and list the athletic activities during which a person should wear a mouth guard.
    3. Explain the first-aid procedure for saving a tooth that has been knocked out.
  3. Arrange for a visit with a dentist. Before you go, ask whether your visit can include a dental examination and a plaque-control demonstration. Afterward, ask questions about things you want to know. Then tell your counselor what the dentist does during a checkup examination.
  4. Do TWO of the following:
    1. Name at least five instruments and five pieces of equipment a dentist uses.
    2. With the help of a dentist, prepare a dental stone cast using a vibrator, a mixing bowl, a water measure, a plastic measure, model stone, and a spatula.
    3. Keep a record of everything you eat for three days. Circle those items that may provide the sugars that �bacterial plaque needs to make acid. List snacks that you should avoid to help maintain the best oral health.
  5. Discuss with your merit badge counselor the following:
    1. How fluorides help prevent tooth decay and the ways fluorides can be provided to the teeth.
    2. How the mouth is related to the rest of the body. Topics might include chewing, saliva, enzymes, �nutrition, and speech.
  6. Do TWO of the following:
    1. Make a model tooth out of soap, clay, papier-mache, or wax. Using a string and a large hand brush, show your troop or a school class proper toothbrushing and flossing procedures.
    2. Make a poster on the prevention of dental disease. Show the importance of good oral health.
    3. Collect at least five advertisements for different toothpastes. List the claims that each one makes. Tell about the accuracy of the advertisements.
    4. Write a feature story for your school newspaper on the proper care of teeth and gums.
    5. Make drawings and write about the progress of dental decay. Describe the types of dental filling and treatments a dentist can use to repair dental decay problems.
  7. Find out about three career opportunities in dentistry. Pick one and find out the education, training, and experience required for this profession. Discuss this with your counselor, and explain why this profession might interest you.

Resources

Scouting Literature

First Aid, Medicine, and Public Health merit badge pamphlets

Books

  • Betancourt, Jeanne. Smile! How to Cope with Your Braces. Alfred A. Knopf, 1982.
  • Ichord, Loretta Frances. Toothworms and Spider Juice: An Illustrated History of Dentistry. The Millbrook Press, 2000.
  • Klatell, Jack, Andrew Kaplan, and Gray Williams Jr. The Mount Sinai Medical Center Family Guide to Dental Health. Macmillan Publishing Company, 1991.
  • Lee, McHenry, Joleen Jackson, and Vicki J. Audette. I Hate Dentists! The Feel Good Guide to Going to the Dentist. IHD Publishing, 1999.
  • Marsoli, Lisa Ann. Things to Know About Going to the Dentist. Silver Burdett Company, 1984.
  • Moss, Stephen J. Your Child's Teeth: A Parent's Guide to Making and Keeping Them Perfect. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1977.
  • Ring, Malvin. Dentistry: An Illustrated History. Harry N. Abrams Inc., 1985.
  • Silverstein, Alvin, and Virginia B. Silverstein. So You're Getting Braces: A Guide to Orthodontics. J. B. Lippincott Company, 1978.
  • Smith, Rebecca W., and the Columbia University School of Dental and Oral Surgery. The Columbia University School of Dental and Oral Surgery's Guide to Family Dental Care. W. W. Norton & Company, 1997.
  • Taintor, Jerry F., and Mary Jane Taintor. The Oral Report: The Consumer's Common Sense Guide to Better Dental Care. Facts On File Publications, 1988.
  • Ward, Brian R. Dental Care. Franklin Watts, 1986.
  • Wynbrandt, James. The Excruciating History of Dentistry: Toothsome Tales and Oral Oddities From Babylon to Braces. St. Martin's Press, 1998.

Organizations and Web Sites

Academy of General Dentistry
211 E. Chicago Ave., Suite 900
Chicago, IL 60611-1999
Toll-free telephone: 888-243-3368
Web site: http://www.agd.org

American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology
214 N. Hale St.
Wheaton, IL 60187
Toll-free telephone: 888-552-2667
Web site: http://www.aaomp.org

American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology
P.O. Box 1010
Evans, GA 30809-1010
Telephone: 706-721-2607
Web site: http://www.aaomr.org

American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
211 E. Chicago Ave., Suite 700
Chicago, IL 60611-2663
Telephone: 312-337-2169
Web site: http://www.aapd.org

American Academy of�Periodontology
737 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 800 Chicago, IL 60611-6660
Telephone: 312-787-5518
Web site: http://www.perio.org

American Association of Endodontists
211 E. Chicago Ave., Suite 1100
Chicago, IL 60611-2691
Toll-free telephone: 800-872-3636
Web site: http://www.aae.org

American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
9700 W. Bryn Mawr Ave.
Rosemont, IL 60018-5701
Telephone: 847-678-6200
Web site: http://www.aaoms.org

American Association of�Orthodontists
401 N. Lindbergh Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63141-7816
Telephone: 314-993-1700
Web site: http://www.braces.org

American Association of Public Health Dentistry
P.O. Box 7536
Springfield, IL 62791-7536
Telephone: 217-391-0218
Web site: http://www.aaphd.org

American College of Prosthodontists
211 E. Chicago Ave., Suite 1000
Chicago, IL 60611
Telephone: 312-573-1260
Web site: http://www.prosthodontics.org

American Dental Assistants Association
35 E. Wacker Drive, Suite 1730
Chicago, IL 60601-2211
Telephone: 312-541-1550
Web site: http://www.dentalassistant.org

American Dental Association
211 E. Chicago Ave.
Chicago, IL 60611-2678
Telephone: 312-440-2500
Web site: http://www.ada.org

American Dental Education Association
1400 K St. NW, Suite 1100
Washington, DC 20005
Telephone: 202-289-7201
Web site: http://www.adea.org

American Dental Hygienists' Association
444 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 3400
Chicago, IL 60611
Telephone: 312-440-8900
Web site: http://www.adha.org

Academy of Comprehensive Esthetics
Web site: http://www.ACEsthetics.com

Dentalsite
Web site: http://www.dentalsite.com

HealthWeb
Web site: http://www.healthweb.org