New exhibit at Children’s Museum of Denver teaches young children about proper dental care through hands-on play

Village of Healthy Smiles, the Museum’s newest exhibit, is designed to teach children good dental health through engaging hands-on exploration. The experience, specifically created for children three and under, will open Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015.

Village of Healthy Smiles is reminiscent of an old-time village and was created to captivate young minds with dental folklore from various cultures, whimsical elements and larger-than-life features.

Each area within the exhibit – the Tooth Fairy’s Workshop, Brush Together Cottage, Your Dental Home and Sugar Bugs Plaza – presents a different opportunity to develop and enhance children’s understanding of dental health. A child-sized dental office and home bathroom allow for family role playing, a giant magnetic tooth with jumbo-sized toothbrushes teach which foods stick to teeth the most, and children can build fantastical structures in an area filled with hand carved wooden blocks inspired by healthy teeth.

The Museum, along with lead exhibit sponsor, Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation, recognized the need to educate Colorado families about proper dental care beginning at a very young age in a comfortable, welcoming environment.

“Delta Dental of Colorado and its Foundation are proud to partner with the Children’s Museum of Denver as the lead sponsors of the Village of Healthy Smiles,” said Marilyn Taylor, chair, Delta Dental of Colorado Board of Trustees. “It’s estimated that one in seven Colorado children have untreated cavities by kindergarten, putting them at greater risk for tooth pain, decay and gum disease. Village of Healthy Smiles makes dental health an imaginative adventure for young kids and families, which then sets the stage for good brushing habits and fewer cavities later in life.”

Village of Healthy Smiles was designed, developed and fabricated by the exhibits and education teams at the Children’s Museum of Denver with intentional planning and conceptualization to create the interactive experience for early learners. The result is a one-of-a-kind exhibit exclusive to the Children’s Museum of Denver that builds upon the Museum’s educational philosophy of fostering an environment of learning through play.