Noticing that children’s dental health was getting lost in the scramble to combat COVID-19, access to preventive dental services and school oral health programs have been delayed. With an ounce of creativity and a pound of compassion, this expressive arts health literacy project will help children and their families learn the importance of maintaining healthy smiles together, even though a pandemic.
Expressive Arts is a discipline of healing that is based on discovery and change. The creative process inspires emotional well-being because it involves expressing one’s self in order to help resolve issues and manage behaviors or feelings. All five disciplines of the arts: visual, dance, music, drama, and writing can give you a richer vocabulary to work, play and live in harmony with self.
Rhonda Radford Adams, is a Houston based artist and third-generation dental hygienist with 30 years in clinical and community health education. A passion for art led to the use of storytelling and hands-on activities to help reduce anxiety and fear of dental visits while also promoting positive dialogue with her patients. Experienced in working with arts-in-medicine programs, Rhonda termed this style ‘art-in-dentistry’ to creatively present oral health education in the, “The Hot S.P.I.T. Chronicles”
The Hot S.P.I.T. Chronicles is an expressive arts health story series that teaches children the connection between dental habits and overall wellness. We partner with non-profit organizations, healthcare facilities and schools to promote healthy lifestyles through creative experiences. Through the art of story-telling, song, dance and interactive role play, Helena Hygiena and her dental team travel on adventures that help bring creative and fun dental health lessons to children, caregivers, teachers, and school nurses.
Support these efforts to creatively inspire wellness...1 SMiLe at a TiMe!
$25
Send a SMiLE
$50
SMiLE 2 SMiLE
$150
GROUP SMiLES
$300
SMALL SMiLES
$500
BiG SMiLES
$750
ALL Smiles
WHY IT MATTERS?
Dental disease is the most common chronic illness for children in the U.S. 49 million US residents are living in areas designated as Dental Health Shortage Areas.
Compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, preventive dental services have been limited in the interest of public health safety and school oral health programs have also been suspended because of government closures. Due to concerns,many remain hesitant to schedule any care including routine and or preventative check ups.
This combination of factors means that children in low-income families are at higher risk of tooth decay, gum disease and ultimately a lifetime of systemic illnesses like heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and even dementia to name a few.
Author
A Houston based artist and third-generation dental hygienist with 30 years in clinical and community health education, Rhonda’s passion for art led her to the use of storytelling and hands-on activities to help reduce anxiety and fear of dental visits while promoting positive dialogue. Familiar with arts-in-medicine, she termed this style ‘art-in-dentistry’ to creatively present oral health education in the series, “The Hot S.P.I.T. Chronicles”.
Illustrator
Over the past 20 years, this Houston artist has facilitated the design, coordination and production over 350 public art projects and creative workshops across the Houston area and abroad. Primarily focused on art projects towards children, he has creatively engaged over youth in his projects . Children’s book illustration has become a second extension of his passion to empower, engage and educate youth through the arts.
Illustrator
A native West African visual artists, illustrator, painter and muralist, this artist considers Texas as home. He is known for his bold and colorful paintings of the daily life on the streets of Lagos, Nigeria. Over the past two decades, Samson has completed thousands of paintings, illustrated 6 children’s books and created a vast portfolio of painted and mosaic murals that are currently in schools, parks and institutions in the US.
Thank you the ADA’s Give Kids A Smile program for providing education and product resources. Give Kids A Smile® is an annual volunteer program that provides free educational, preventive and restorative services to children from low-income families.
The Health Museum's mission is to foster wonder and curiosity about health, medical science and the human body.
