Casey Bell, 4, smiled wide for the intraoral camera and his bright white teeth gleamed from the television screen in a room at the David Elrod and Peter Green dental office.

Jessie Christianson, a dental hygienist, showed about 20 3- and 4-year-old children from the St. Olaf Wee Learning Center the importance of clean teeth and healthy eating habits. Throughout the week, Christianson is teaching dental hygiene to preschool-age children as a part of National Children's Dental Health Month.

The Wee Learning Center students learned how to brush their teeth, what foods are good for teeth and what happens at a dental check-up during a half-hour session Tuesday at the dentist's office.

The children have been learning about dental health recently at the center, said Wee Learning assistant Sara Leining.

"They seem to like it," Leining said as she watched the students pass around a large set of plastic teeth.

The students' parents also were invited. Shelby Bell came with her son, Casey, to participate in his day.

"He hasn't officially been to the dentist," Bell said, adding that he will have his first teeth cleaning soon.

The Wee Learning Center classes have been coming to the Elrod and Green office for "several" years in February, Christianson said. Congregational and Little Shamrock preschool students also receive instruction.

"They are so open to learning," Christianson said of the preschoolers. "If it can be fun, they take it to heart."

Drs. David Elrod and Peter Green also are participating in National Give a Kid a Smile day on Feb. 21, where dentists from the Austin Dental Society, with parental permission, will give children free dental screenings at area schools. The day is sponsored by the American Dental Association and the Minnesota Dental Association.

The office also is drawing two names of children who are cavity-free for prizes such as movie passes, Christianson said.

During Children's Dental Health Month, preventative measures are stressed, such as brushing well and eating right, Christianson said.

"Prevention is the key," Christianson said.

Cari Quam can be reached at 434-2235 or by e-mail at cari.quam@austindailyherald.com