Watch Back Plaque! There's a new toothbrush in Toothston and his name is Tickles D.Tickles' Traveling Toothbrush Show is a traveling exhibit featuring expressive arts-in-dentistry projects that tour on-site to elementary schools, community centers and health fairs to promote children's dental health education for grades Pre-K thru 12. This community arts-in-dentistry project is based on a colorful cast of characters created from
'dental office personalities'. 

Tickles D. Toothbrush is the star of the show and he is joined by Dr. Giggles the Dentist, Happy Hygienist, Flossy Floss and Sticky-Icky-Plaque and The Sugar Bug Gang. 
Tickles' and his crew pursue their adventures in the Toothbrush Bus as they use creativity to help protect and serve the young smiles within the 'City of Toothston, Texas.' Tickles promotes dental health awareness by combining different art mediums such as performing arts , song, dance, interactive role-play; and hands-on art projects, using items and materials commonly associated with the dental office.

NEEDS:
'An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Over 51 million school hours are lost each year due to dental related illnesses. The city of Houston has a 52 % prevelance rate of dental decay in young children. Recent studies conducted have also proven that dental disease is not only restricted to the mouth, but can also have a negative impact on the circulatory, respiratory, muscular, skeletal and immune systems of the body. Tickles' Traveling Toothbrush Show is a community outreach project which enables children, caregivers, teachers and school nurses to understand the importance of good dental health and the consequences of neglect. 

WHY ART?
Art creates exciting situations for children to learn through the process of discovery. The arts-in-dentistry projects involve students in fun hands-on learning activities that will use art in new ways to encourage dental health awareness. 

The workshops' interactive lessons are based on a dental health curriculum series developed by a team of pediatric dental professionals and professional artists with over 20 years of experience. The healing art activities have been designed especially to support children suffering from anxiety, depression and fear of dental visits. Getting satisfaction from one's own creative expression is a step toward positive self-esteem.

    GOALS:

• Encourage children to take responsibility for their own dental health. 

• Help children communicate potential dental health problems to their parents.

• Prepare children for dental visits.

• Introduce creativity to reduce anxiety and/or fear of dental visits. 

• Promote positive self-esteem.