Dental Literacy
HOW ONE DENTIST MAKES BRUSHING FUN
As a freshman at the University of California San Francisco School of Dentistry, Jeanette Courtad was tasked with a daunting community outreach project: Educate kindergartners on the importance of brushing their teeth. Luckily, Courtad is also an artist, and she came up with a creative way to captivate the youngsters’ attention. Using her talents as a painter and sculptor, Courtad used materials, like couch foam and fabric, to mold personified characters that represented teeth and other parts of the mouth. For example, Cuspi, the cuspid, is concerned with aesthetics and how things feel — she doesn’t like to be covered in sticky sweets. Mola, the molar, is all about functionality. Tongo, the tongue, is a bit of an antihero. As Courtad explains, “Even though he helps clean sticky sweets off the teeth, Tongo is the one [that wants] them in the first place.” Courtad brought her life-size creations to classrooms settings, letting the kids “brush” away the plaque and germs. The teeth initially wore frowny faces because they weren’t clean, and the students learned that brushing them removed the bacteria and turned their frowns upside down. As Courtad notes, “Obviously, the teeth were sad when they were covered in these Velcro
germs before the kindergartners took a giant toothbrush and ... brushed those little germs off the teeth with me.”
After completing dental school, Dr. Courtad continued to pursue her
SMILE-FRIENDLY RECIPES series with books written for expectant parents in underserved communities. According to health coordinator and dental hygienist Diana Leathers, “These books provide a great deal of education because they are easy to read and provide important information using fun graphics.” passion for educating kids about oral health. The initial outreach project laid the foundation for the children’s book series the “Toothful Tales” adventures, which were illustrated and written by Dr. Courtad. Today, Dr. Courtad’s books about dental care, starring the same fun characters, are found in dental offices and health care programs all over the country. In collaboration with the Horowitz Center for Health Literacy, Dr. Courtad has expanded the
SUDOKU
BEET, MINT, AND RICOTTA HUMMUS
Ingredients
• 1 6-ounce beet (about the size of an adult fist), scrubbed • 1 15 1/2-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained • 1/3 cup tahini, well-mixed • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice • 1/4 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 garlic clove, grated • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste • 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper • 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander • Mint leaves, poppy seeds, and olive oil, for garnish
Directions
1. Heat oven to 425 F. 2. Wrap beet tightly in foil. On a foil-lined baking sheet, roast wrapped beet until fork tender, about 60–70 minutes. 3. While beet is roasting, blend chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, ricotta, garlic, salt, pepper, and coriander until smooth. 4. Once beet is cool enough to handle, use a paper towel to remove beet skin. Trim root end and cut into small pieces. Add to blender or food processor, and blend until entire mixture is smooth. Add additional salt if desired. 5. Transfer to a shallow bowl, top with garnishes, and serve.
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