Screamers, Whiners, and Fussers:
Providing the Best for Patients and Parents
Continuing education course proposal
By Cathy Hester Seckman, R.D.H.
© 2007
Content for this course comes from more than 25 years of personal experience in general and pediatric dentistry,
as well as interviews with pediatric dentists, psychologists, and dental product representatives. It also includes
information and research from dental, dental hygiene, and psychology journals, and from the American Academy
of Pediatric Dentists and the Association for Child Psychology and Psychiatry.
Having a fussy five-year-old in the schedule can be a nightmare experience for a dental hygienist. Instead of
simply dreading it, hygienists who attend this program can learn to embrace the challenge, conquer their own
insecurity, and make dental visits better for challenging children. The first section of the program is designed to
give hygienists a workbox of management tools to use with difficult children and worried parents. The second
section focuses on home care tips and techniques; and the final section on building lasting relationships with
patients and families.
This is a three-hour course, but can be altered for any time slot. It can be combined with “Gimme That Ding-
Dong!” for an all-day program. The presentation includes Power Point slides, handouts, an interactive group role-
playing exercise, and favors that have specific uses in pediatric dentistry.
Learning objectives
o To understand the reasons behind problem behaviors
o To master techniques for defusing tantrums, calming fears, and encouraging good behavior
o To know the latest facts on pediatric topics like thumbsucking, fluoride varnish, and more
o To empower parents for better oral health care at home
o To learn to build continuing relationships with child patients and parents
Gimme that Ding Dong!
Tooth-Friendly Nutrition for Kids and Parents
Continuing education course proposal
By Cathy Hester Seckman, R.D.H.
© 2007
Content for this course comes from more than 25 years of personal experience in general and pediatric dentistry,
as well as interviews with pediatric dentists, nutritionists, and dental product representatives. Insights from Cynthia
Stegman, R.D.H., co-author of “Dental Hygienist’s Guide to Nutritional Care,” are also included. Other course
content will come from information and research from dental and dental hygiene journals, and from the American
Academy of Pediatric Dentists, the American Dietetic Association, and the School Nutrition Association.
Ding-Dongs for supper? It happens, and not just in families with low socioeconomic status. Parents who don’t
know enough about nutrition can be college-educated homeowners who vacation in the Caribbean, but their pre-
schoolers have 18 surfaces of decay. Hygienists who attend this three-part program will first receive a thorough
grounding in the science of nutrition as it applies to oral health, including the latest information on vitamins,
minerals, and xylitol. The second section teaches hygienists to help parents make better choices for their families
by learning to interpret nutrition labels, adapt recipes, and choose health over convenience. The third section
includes tips and techniques to make mealtimes easier for fussy children and busy parents.
This is a three-hour course, but can be altered for any time slot. It can be combined with "Screamers, Whiners,
and Fussers" for an all-day program. The presentation includes Power Point slides, handouts, two interactive
group exercises, and favors that have specific uses in pediatric dentistry.
Learning objectives
o To understand how nutrition directly and indirectly affects oral health in children and teens
o To understand and apply pediatric nutritional principles
o To empower parents in their nutritional choices
o To be able to affect positive change in family nutritional habits
Pre-natal to Pre-school:
Great foundations for pediatric oral health
Continuing education course proposal
By Cathy Hester Seckman, R.D.H.
© 2008
Content for this course comes from more than 25 years of personal experience in general and pediatric dentistry,
as well as interviews with pediatric dentists, obstetricians, and dental product representatives. Other course
content will come from information and research from dental and dental hygiene journals, from the American
Academy of Pediatric Dentists, from the National Children's Oral Health Foundation, and from the National Center
for Education in Maternal and Child Health.
Everyone who has had children or thought about having children is aware of the importance of maternal and child
health. It’s a big topic today. Because we’re hygienists, we also think about the smaller, but no less important sub-
topic: dental health during pregnancy and childhood. How do the choices of a mother-to-be influence her child’s
future dental health? How can you help the young women in your practice give their families the best possible
start for lifelong oral health? This course will teach you.
This is a three-hour course, but can be altered for any time slot, including an all-day program. The presentation
includes Power Point slides, handouts, an interactive group exercise, and favors that have specific uses in
pediatric dentistry.
Learning objectives
Kidspeak:
Bridging the Communication Gap
with Toddlers, Tweens, and Teens
Continuing education course proposal
By Cathy Hester Seckman, R.D.H.
© 2010
Communicating with toddlers, children, and teen-agers can be like learning a new language. One must not only
consider slang and word patterns, but culture, lifestyle, and nonverbal cues. Trust must be established, and
psychosocial needs must be taken into account. For the cycle of communication to be complete, a message must
be said, heard, responded to, and received. Successful communication can produce a perception of self-efficacy
in a reluctant toddler, and it can change behaviors in a disinterested teen. Through an interactive team exercise,
hygienists will be able to practice new strategies of communication.
This is a three-hour course, but can be altered for any time slot, including an all-day program. The presentation
includes Power Point slides, handouts, two interactive group exercises, and favors that have specific uses in
pediatric dentistry.
Learning Objectives
o To understand the differences between adult and child communication
o To learn the importance of nonverbal cues
o To consider how culture and lifestyle affect communication with children
o To become fluent in the languages of toddlers, children, and teenagers
o To tailor oral health messages in age-, culture- and lifestyle-appropriate ways
Paying to Play:
Teen Risk Behavior and Lifelong Consequences
The only thing harder than raising a teen-ager is being a dental hygienist who must convince a teen-ager to care
about their oral health. Effective communication must be sensitive to the needs and emotions of teens before they
can accept and act on the information we want to give them.
These days, teen oral health goes far beyond proper flossing technique and warnings about the dangers of sugar
and acid. From human papilloma virus to squamous cell carcinoma to diabetes to life-threatening infections, teens
face more challenges to their oral health than any previous generation. Through communication techniques and
the latest in these sometimes controversial topics, this course will prepare hygienists to be an essential resource
for teens and parents.
Learning Objectives
o Understand the risks teens face from drug and sexual experimentation; smoking and chewing; HPV
exposure and its vaccine; obesity; piercings and tattoos.
o Be aware of the motivations for teens to engage in risk behaviors.
o Use specific communication techniques to engage teens in a meaningful analysis of risk, leading to
permanent behavior change
Providing the Best for Patients and Parents
Continuing education course proposal
By Cathy Hester Seckman, R.D.H.
© 2007
Content for this course comes from more than 25 years of personal experience in general and pediatric dentistry,
as well as interviews with pediatric dentists, psychologists, and dental product representatives. It also includes
information and research from dental, dental hygiene, and psychology journals, and from the American Academy
of Pediatric Dentists and the Association for Child Psychology and Psychiatry.
Having a fussy five-year-old in the schedule can be a nightmare experience for a dental hygienist. Instead of
simply dreading it, hygienists who attend this program can learn to embrace the challenge, conquer their own
insecurity, and make dental visits better for challenging children. The first section of the program is designed to
give hygienists a workbox of management tools to use with difficult children and worried parents. The second
section focuses on home care tips and techniques; and the final section on building lasting relationships with
patients and families.
This is a three-hour course, but can be altered for any time slot. It can be combined with “Gimme That Ding-
Dong!” for an all-day program. The presentation includes Power Point slides, handouts, an interactive group role-
playing exercise, and favors that have specific uses in pediatric dentistry.
Learning objectives
o To understand the reasons behind problem behaviors
o To master techniques for defusing tantrums, calming fears, and encouraging good behavior
o To know the latest facts on pediatric topics like thumbsucking, fluoride varnish, and more
o To empower parents for better oral health care at home
o To learn to build continuing relationships with child patients and parents
Gimme that Ding Dong!
Tooth-Friendly Nutrition for Kids and Parents
Continuing education course proposal
By Cathy Hester Seckman, R.D.H.
© 2007
Content for this course comes from more than 25 years of personal experience in general and pediatric dentistry,
as well as interviews with pediatric dentists, nutritionists, and dental product representatives. Insights from Cynthia
Stegman, R.D.H., co-author of “Dental Hygienist’s Guide to Nutritional Care,” are also included. Other course
content will come from information and research from dental and dental hygiene journals, and from the American
Academy of Pediatric Dentists, the American Dietetic Association, and the School Nutrition Association.
Ding-Dongs for supper? It happens, and not just in families with low socioeconomic status. Parents who don’t
know enough about nutrition can be college-educated homeowners who vacation in the Caribbean, but their pre-
schoolers have 18 surfaces of decay. Hygienists who attend this three-part program will first receive a thorough
grounding in the science of nutrition as it applies to oral health, including the latest information on vitamins,
minerals, and xylitol. The second section teaches hygienists to help parents make better choices for their families
by learning to interpret nutrition labels, adapt recipes, and choose health over convenience. The third section
includes tips and techniques to make mealtimes easier for fussy children and busy parents.
This is a three-hour course, but can be altered for any time slot. It can be combined with "Screamers, Whiners,
and Fussers" for an all-day program. The presentation includes Power Point slides, handouts, two interactive
group exercises, and favors that have specific uses in pediatric dentistry.
Learning objectives
o To understand how nutrition directly and indirectly affects oral health in children and teens
o To understand and apply pediatric nutritional principles
o To empower parents in their nutritional choices
o To be able to affect positive change in family nutritional habits
Pre-natal to Pre-school:
Great foundations for pediatric oral health
Continuing education course proposal
By Cathy Hester Seckman, R.D.H.
© 2008
Content for this course comes from more than 25 years of personal experience in general and pediatric dentistry,
as well as interviews with pediatric dentists, obstetricians, and dental product representatives. Other course
content will come from information and research from dental and dental hygiene journals, from the American
Academy of Pediatric Dentists, from the National Children's Oral Health Foundation, and from the National Center
for Education in Maternal and Child Health.
Everyone who has had children or thought about having children is aware of the importance of maternal and child
health. It’s a big topic today. Because we’re hygienists, we also think about the smaller, but no less important sub-
topic: dental health during pregnancy and childhood. How do the choices of a mother-to-be influence her child’s
future dental health? How can you help the young women in your practice give their families the best possible
start for lifelong oral health? This course will teach you.
This is a three-hour course, but can be altered for any time slot, including an all-day program. The presentation
includes Power Point slides, handouts, an interactive group exercise, and favors that have specific uses in
pediatric dentistry.
Learning objectives
- To understand how pre-natal choices affect child health
- To understand how future oral health fits into early childhood development
- To use those understandings to offer patients the best in information and advice , pre-natal to pre-school
Kidspeak:
Bridging the Communication Gap
with Toddlers, Tweens, and Teens
Continuing education course proposal
By Cathy Hester Seckman, R.D.H.
© 2010
Communicating with toddlers, children, and teen-agers can be like learning a new language. One must not only
consider slang and word patterns, but culture, lifestyle, and nonverbal cues. Trust must be established, and
psychosocial needs must be taken into account. For the cycle of communication to be complete, a message must
be said, heard, responded to, and received. Successful communication can produce a perception of self-efficacy
in a reluctant toddler, and it can change behaviors in a disinterested teen. Through an interactive team exercise,
hygienists will be able to practice new strategies of communication.
This is a three-hour course, but can be altered for any time slot, including an all-day program. The presentation
includes Power Point slides, handouts, two interactive group exercises, and favors that have specific uses in
pediatric dentistry.
Learning Objectives
o To understand the differences between adult and child communication
o To learn the importance of nonverbal cues
o To consider how culture and lifestyle affect communication with children
o To become fluent in the languages of toddlers, children, and teenagers
o To tailor oral health messages in age-, culture- and lifestyle-appropriate ways
Paying to Play:
Teen Risk Behavior and Lifelong Consequences
The only thing harder than raising a teen-ager is being a dental hygienist who must convince a teen-ager to care
about their oral health. Effective communication must be sensitive to the needs and emotions of teens before they
can accept and act on the information we want to give them.
These days, teen oral health goes far beyond proper flossing technique and warnings about the dangers of sugar
and acid. From human papilloma virus to squamous cell carcinoma to diabetes to life-threatening infections, teens
face more challenges to their oral health than any previous generation. Through communication techniques and
the latest in these sometimes controversial topics, this course will prepare hygienists to be an essential resource
for teens and parents.
Learning Objectives
o Understand the risks teens face from drug and sexual experimentation; smoking and chewing; HPV
exposure and its vaccine; obesity; piercings and tattoos.
o Be aware of the motivations for teens to engage in risk behaviors.
o Use specific communication techniques to engage teens in a meaningful analysis of risk, leading to
permanent behavior change
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From 2010 Pediatric Nutrition seminar (Ohio Tri-County DHA)
From 2009 Pediatric Management and Pediatric Nutrition seminars (Montgomery- Bucks County DHA)
From 2007 Pediatric Management seminar (Under One Roof)
Comments from 2006 Writing Realities seminar (Under One Roof)
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| With sponsorship from GC America and Philips Sonicare, I present four programs for dental hygienists. I also speak occasionally about writing, indexing, and motorcycling. The dental programs, which I've presented in Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Chicago, are: Screamers, Whiners and Fussers: Providing the Best for Patients and Parents Gimme That Ding Dong! Tooth-Friendly Nutrition for Kids and Parents Pre-natal to Pre-school: Great Foundations for Pediatric Oral Health Kidspeak: Bridging the Communication Gap with Toddlers, Tweens, and Teens Paying to Play: Teen Risk Behavior and Lifelong Consequences Course descriptions and objectives are below. To contact me about presenting a program, click here |