Building Strong Oral Health Habits with the Michigan Model for Health™
2026-10-14 12:06:00 Curriculum Updates & Releases
For students, oral health is about much more than brushing teeth. It affects how confident they feel, how well they can focus, and even how often they’re in the classroom. Good oral health habits formed early can prevent cavities, reduce long term dental issues, and help children understand how to make decisions that support overall wellbeing.
How MMH supports students in practical, developmentally appropriate ways across units
In the Personal Health & Wellness lessons, students learn foundational skills in personal hygiene; including lessons that reinforce toothbrushing, flossing, and germ prevention. This subject focuses on developing positive personal habits using interactive, skills-based activities.
- Demonstrating proper brushing and flossing technique with mouth models
- Building daily hygiene routines as part of goal-setting practice
- Discussing how good oral health helps them stay healthy and ready to learn
The Nutrition & Physical Activity lessons help students understand how food choices, especially sugary drinks and frequent snacking, affect their bodies and their teeth. Students learn to read food labels, compare snack choices, and identify foods that support good oral health.
- Sorting foods into "everyday snacks" vs. "once-in-a-while snacks" based on sugar content
- Investigating how acidic drinks impact enamel
- Planning a tooth-healthy lunch or snack
In the Alcohol, Tobacco & Other Drugs lessons, students learn how substances like tobacco, vaping, and other nicotine products can damage teeth, gums, and overall health. Lessons also focus on refusal skills, peer pressure resistance, and recognizing influences. All of this learning helps students make informed decisions.
- Role playing how to say no to vaping
- Analyzing commercials and social media posts that glamorize smoking or sugary products
- Discussing how tobacco and nicotine products can affect oral health, including tooth discoloration and gum disease
Putting Knowledge into Practice
What sets MMH apart is its emphasis on teaching practical life skills, not just oral health facts. Across grade levels, students learn and practice:
- Decision-making (ex: choosing tooth-friendly snacks)
- Goal-setting (ex: “brush twice a day for two weeks and track progress”)
- Self-management (ex: creating routines around hygiene)
- Communication skills (ex: asking a trusted adult for help with a toothache)
These approaches make oral health instruction active, relevant, and lasting.
Classroom Tools
MMH provides educators with engaging tools such as posters, worksheets, activity cards, and Google Slides presentations—all designed to support health habits in and beyond the classroom. Hands-on kits include laminated visuals, models, and activity cards that support lessons on hygiene, nutrition, and personal wellness.
These materials help make oral health education accessible and fun for students of all ages.
Not all children have equal access to dental care or health information. Because the lessons are age-appropriate, skills-based, and designed for all learners, students receive clear, relatable information regardless of their background or access to care.
Family Engagement
Take home activities encourage conversations about oral health at home, helping children connect what they learn in school with habits they can practice with their families. For example, let the kids put their creativity on display by adding a little color to a daily routine with our Oral Health Coloring Page!
When families and educators work together, students learn habits that last a lifetime. By integrating oral health into broader wellness instruction, the MMH helps students understand how the choices they make today shape their health tomorrow. Families and educators across Michigan (and beyond) work together every day to help students build healthy habits, and MMH provides the tools, language, and skills that make that teamwork easier.
The Model for Healthy Kids
The Michigan Model for HealthTM is a nationally recognized, research-based comprehensive and sequential Pre-K through 12th grade health education curriculum. The MMH curriculum aims to give school-aged children and youth the knowledge and skills needed to practice and maintain healthy behaviors and lifestyles. It provides age-appropriate lessons addressing the most serious health challenges facing school children and youth.
Contact Us
Email our MMH support team at support@michiganmodelforhealth.org.