Daniel Visits the Dentist (Full Episode) | Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood – PBS LearningMedia
April 11
In this collection from PBS LearningMedia, Daniel visits Dr. Plat, his new dentist. A little nervous at first, Daniel talks about what happens at the dentist, and this helps him feel better. He’s ready for his teeth to be cleaned! Watch the ASL versioned full episode, “Daniel Visits the Dentist,” from Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood to spark conversations about dentists and how they help us keep our teeth healthy. Then use the lesson plans to introduce your students to this community helper and invite students to explore their teeth.
Teach your class what a community helper is and how dentists fall under this term. Guide them to discover how dentists care for their patient’s teeth and what their own teeth are like. After watching the Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood clip, discuss what dentists do, your class’s experiences with dentists, and then transition into the different jobs of different teeth. Encourage them to participate in the mirror activity allowing them and a partner to inspect your teeth and name the qualities of them.
Consider further activities to supplement this lesson. You can set up a small dentist office for pretend play and allow your students to interact with child-safe dental equipment so that they can get familiar with the environment in a fun way. There are also some children’s books that pair well with the lesson, like The Tooth Book by Dr. Suess, Arthur’s Tooth by Marc Brown, Daniel Goes to the Dentist by Alexandra Cassel Schwartz, and ABC dentist by Harriet Ziefert. Or, you could send home a letter encouraging families to speak with their children about what’s been discussed in class.
Use these resources to teach your students about the dentist and encourage them to be more aware of their own dental health. Make it known that the dentist isn’t a scary place and that they’re there to help. Available in both English and Spanish, these resources encourage healthy smiles by creating access to information about the dentist and their smiles!