When Dr. Carrie Terry’s niece stopped into the clinic for her regular dental check-up, the six-year-old was keen to learn more about Aunt Carrie’s job.

“We have ‘Family Dentist Days’ where my whole family comes to the office and I do their cleanings and check-ups,” Dr. Terry tells Nova Scotia Dentist. “Minnie wanted to be my assistant while I did her mom’s cleaning, so I dressed her up in all the PPE and she absolutely loved it.”

Seeing her niece have so much fun sitting chairside gave Dr. Terry an idea: Why not connect with elementary schools near her Wolfville practice to see if there was an opportunity to have more kids ‘practice’ dentistry?

“We really started engaging with our local schools the year COVID hit,” Dr. Terry says. “My office dog, Franklin, and I were doing virtual presentations. We would visit classrooms through a video call, talk about dentistry, and have the kids ask questions.”

Adding some hands-on learning into the mix seemed like a natural progression.

“I thought if kids had the opportunity to dress up like a dental professional that it would not only be fun, but educational, too,” she continues.

With that, Dr. Terry’s ‘Learn about Dentistry’ classroom dental kit was born! The bundle has kid-sized PPE — lab coats, gloves, masks, and safety glasses — along with fun, oversized props, including a big mouth, mirrors, and toothbrushes.

“As much as I would love to personally visit all the classrooms the kit travels to, I don’t have the time,” Dr. Terry says. “Instead, I made a video that explains the important jobs that a dental assistant, dental hygienist, and dentist do. There’s also a number of activity sheets and lesson plans that the teacher can pick and choose from, which are all about oral health.”

Unsurprisingly, the kit’s a hit! Indeed, since its launch, the dental kit has visited elementary school classrooms in the communities of Gaspereau, Aylesford, and Canning. Recently, Dr. Terry even shipped it to Prince Edward Island.

“So far this year, we’ve had 10 classes use the kit, with just over 200 kids participating,” she says.

“My hope for the children who participate is that it makes going to the dentist easier, less scary, and more fun,” Dr. Terry adds. “I also hope it inspires a new generation to, perhaps, consider a career as a dental assistant, dental hygienist, or dentist. With the staff shortages we’re all experiencing, I think it’s great to have kids dress up and think, ‘this could be me someday!’”

For Dr. Terry, getting patients at Dr. Carrie Terry Family Dentistry jazzed about brushing and flossing is definitely a highlight of the job.

“I usually try to get kids excited about oral health through my alter-ego, Dr. T-Rex,” she says. “For Oral Health Month this year, we had some amazing dinosaur-themed goodie bags with dinosaur toothbrushes, dinosaur flossers, and other dinosaur things. It’s amazing to watch a child’s face light up receiving a toothbrush, but, when you make it special, they really do get excited about it.”

“If I can make brushing and flossing more exciting and more enjoyable for people, that makes me happy!”

To check out more of the fun stuff happening at Dr. Terry’s clinic, find her on Facebook @drcarrieterryfamilydentistry. Dental colleagues are also invited to reach out and borrow the kit!