MouthPower National exhibit showcases special events at ADA HQ

Visitors to the ADA Headquarters this spring are in for a rare treat.

MouthPower, the National Museum of Dentistry’s oral health education program for children, will be showcased in the ADA’s newly renovated lobby from Feb. 1 to April 30.

Co-sponsored by the ADA and American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, MouthPower’s tour stop in Chicago is one of several events planned to commemorate the ADA’s 150th anniversary this year. The exhibition of MouthPower also spans a number of high profile dental events, including National Children’s Dental Health Month (February), Give Kids A Smile (Feb. 6), Chicago Midwinter Meeting (Feb. 26-March 1) and Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day (April 23).

“Hosting MouthPower at the American Dental Association is truly a unique opportunity,” said ADA President John S. Findley.

“This is a traveling exhibit and we were fortunate to have it available for our use during the ADA’s sesquicentennial celebration,” said Dr. Findley. “It’s a wonderful addition to the new lobby, and it will certainly offer a fun educational experience for children in the community during special events at ADA Headquarters this year.”

“We are very pleased to partner with the American Dental Association in bringing this wonderful dental exhibit to Chicago,” added Dr. Beverly Largent, president of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. “We truly believe that the MouthPower exhibit will be an excellent learning opportunity for the public during National Children’s Dental Health Month.”

Throughout MouthPower’s interactive stations, the chatterteeth mascot Mouthie guides children age 5-8 in a hands-on discovery of the power of a healthy smile. MouthPower features the following components:

• Build a Tooth: Build by turning colorful overlay pages in a tooth-shaped book.
• Let’s Brush and Floss: Practice brushing and flossing on an oversized mouth with king-size brush and floss.
• Say No to Smoking: “Put out” cigarettes to learn more about the risks of smoking.
• Tobacco = Tooth Trouble: Move a smile along a visual timeline to discover what tobacco use can do to a healthy mouth.
• Start Your Food Adventure: Begin a lifetime of healthy eating with smart food choices from the new food pyramid.
• Let’s Eat! Let’s Move!: Explore how portion size and exercise build a healthy body.
• Join the Dental Team: Don clinic coats and become members of the dental team (dentist, patient, hygienist and assistant) in a child-size dental office complete with chair and X-rays.
• Play the MouthPower Game: Explore an interactive computer version of the exhibition.

Made possible by a grant from Colgate-Palmolive, MouthPower is stopping at the ADA Headquarters between stays at the Wisconsin Children’s Museum in Stevens Point, Wis., and the Children’s Museum of Ontario, Canada.

Located in Baltimore, the Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. For information, visit www.dentalmuseum.org.