Kindergarten students at Great Neck Elementary School in Waterford got a special visit from Susan Goldstein and her friend Boo Bear to learn all about taking care of their teeth. They began the lesson by learning how to properly brush their teeth, carefully watching Goldstein as she demonstrated on her stuffed companion.

“I got his toothbrush, and on his toothbrush I’m going to put ketchup,” she told the class. “Is that right?”

“No!” they cried. “Toothpaste!”

“That was a silly question,” she said, “but here’s a hard one. Do you use a lot of toothpaste?”

Some of the kids shook their heads, and Goldstein explained that they only need a little bit of toothpaste because they could get a bellyache if they swallow too much. She showed the students how to softly brush back and forth like a train, making sure to get all the way from the “smile teeth” to the “chewy teeth.” She put it together with the tooth brushing song as she brushed Boo Bear’s teeth with a giant brush.

The visit is part of a series that brings Goldstein to schools from Old Saybrook to Westerly. She has worked as a dental hygienist for Children’s Dental Associates for 37 years, and she said the founding dentists wanted to create a program that brought their philosophy of “careology” beyond the 30-minute visit to the office.

“It was more important to teach children how to take care of teeth than necessarily it was to fix them,” she said. “[The] philosophy was teach a child how to take care of his teeth and he’s got them for the rest of his life.”

Boo Bear joined the program early on, and the golden-furred bear with a mouth full of teeth has become so famous in southeastern Connecticut that the program continues to serve schools, libraries and other children’s groups primarily by word of mouth.

Goldstein said through more than 30 years of visits with Boo Bear, she has taught dental health to more than 7,000 children.

After the students sang the brushing song, Goldstein grew quiet to tell a serious story about Boo Bear’s friend, Clyde. Clyde had to visit the dentist to get fillings for five cavities, and Boo Bear wanted to visit him to make him feel better. When they got hungry watching television, however, Boo Bear got upset because Clyde only had gummy bears, Tootsie Rolls and lollipops for snacks.

Goldstein asked the class for healthy snacks that Boo Bear could have instead, but he didn’t want an orange, banana or apple. After he settled on popcorn, he said he was thirsty and asked for soda.

“No!” the students cried. “Water!” Others suggested juice or milk as a tooth-healthy alternative.

Goldstein explained that sugary snacks like candy or cake are acceptable for special occasions, such as Boo Bear’s upcoming birthday, but only if they brush their teeth after eating.

As the children took turns brushing Boo Bear’s teeth, Goldstein asked if anyone had lost any teeth and put them under their pillows for the tooth fairy. Summer Discordia raised her hand along with a few others, and Goldstein had her smile for the class.

“Do you know what we call those teeth that are growing in there now?” Goldstein asked

“Grown-up teeth!” the students replied.

“You call them grown-up teeth, but do you know what I call them? Grandma teeth. Do you know why? Because she’s going to have those teeth forever and ever and ever until she’s somebody’s grandma, so you’ve got to take really good care of them,” Goldstein said.

a.hutchinson@theday.com

Twitter: @ahutch411