Where There Is No Dentist 2012 33
PUPPET SHOWS—AN EXAMPLE*
Above, school children in Ajoya, Mexico are holding puppets they made
themselves. On the left, you see them in front of the stage and at right, the
children show how they hold the puppets behind the stage.
1) They called their puppet show “Rotten
Teeth—And A Friend’s Advice.”
2) Pedro, a schoolboy, is sad. His friends
looked into his mouth and saw two
teeth with big holes in them. He tells
his brother he wants to walk home
alone.
3) On the way, Pedro meets Maria, a
friend who is a dental worker. “l’m not
sad because the others are laughing,”
says Pedro. “I know the real problem.
The holes in my teeth will get bigger.
My teeth will rot and fall out, and
maybe my permanent teeth coming in
will rot, too.”
Maria thinks she knows what to do. “We
will talk to your father,” she says.
* For another example of a puppet show, and more suggestions for making puppets, see pages
27-35 to 27-39 of Helping Health Workers Learn.