powered by:
save your skin foundation
sudbury student launches shinybite smiles to boost oral health education
3 minute read
laurentian university student yerim chung is the founder of shinybite, a new community organization focused on improving oral-health education and preventive care for children and underserved communities in northern ontario.
john lappa
/
sudbury star
when yerim chung was a child, she diligently brushed her teeth, flossed and went to the dentist, just as her parents had taught her to do.
but while she paid good attention to her oral health, chung admittedly didn’t have a strong understanding of why she should do so — and she suspects many youngsters today are similarly uninformed.
“that was the information i got from my parents and my dentist, but i didn’t really have a clear picture of why i should brush my teeth and go to the dentist,” chung told the sudbury star. “when i started to look at oral health myself, i was surprised how there was so much to learn, and it made me wish i had a chance to learn more about oral health.”
now a second-year biochemistry student at laurentian university, chung has launched shinybite smiles, a program aimed at boosting oral health education among youth in greater sudbury and in northern ontario.
“i wish shinybite was something i had growing up,” said chung, who was born in korea and lived in australia for some six years before her family moved to sudbury.
“that’s why i started hoping to educate children in other communities.”
with support from businesses, local dentists and volunteers, she plans to host free, interactive oral-health workshops and to distribute take-home smile kits, with an initial goal of reaching 50 children. her first workshop this coming october will be virtual, before she moves to hosting in-person events.
“the first project i want to launch is shinybite smiles workshops, which is to provide engaging, age-appropriate oral health education for children and youth around sudbury,” chung explained. “i’m planning my first workshop, which is going to be a virtual one in october. i have made the flyer with the information and everything, and i have reached out to some local places, hoping they will be able to spread it.”
advertisement
in separate sessions for children younger than seven and those aged seven and older, attendees will learn how to brush, what plaque and cavities are, how sugar can help cause tooth decay and how it can be prevented.
“one of the things i learned doing my own research was that certain bacteria can metabolize sugars and produce acids, which can contribute to demineralization of tooth enamel, but saliva and fluoride play a really important protective role in helping remineralization and making enamel more resistant,” chung said. “these might be harder words for kids, but i’m hoping to put it in a kid-friendly language so they can understand it.
“i also really want the workshops to be fun and interactive rather than just giving kids information, and hopefully make them feel comfortable asking questions about their oral health.”
some businesses have provided toothbrushes to be used in the smile kits. others have provided gift cards that can be used as awards.
“a reason i’m targeting children for now is because i really believe childhood is a very important time for prevention, when many lifelong habits are being developed,” chung said. “things that i adopted from my parents and learned when i was really young, i still do those things and i’m sure it will stay for a while.
“long-term, i’d love to involve dentists, dental students, hygienists, researchers, schools and community organizations so it can become more of a community effort. i also hope to create resources that schools and organizations can continue using even after a workshop. for me, success would be something as simple as a child going home and teaching their sibling or parent something they learned.”
a busy student who works as an undergraduate researcher at laurentian and is involved with future north, a local non-profit that helps youth, and also volunteers with other community organizations, chung hopes to recruit volunteers who can help her with the workshops, assemble kits or reach out to more businesses and dentists to support shinybits’s initiatives.
advertisement
“i have so many things in my head, but shinybite is something important to me. i really want to make this a thing.
“even though i didn’t grow up here, i’ve really come to love this community and want to give back to the place that has become home for me. i’m hoping shinybite can grow alongside this community and eventually reach children who might not otherwise have access to this kind of education, like i didn’t growing up.”
share story
