St. Louis, Missouri: HealthWorks! Kids Museum

Very nice employees to talk to. The big teeth are now up on the ceiling. They also have an animatronic Toucan that they use to influence children during their hygiene class. His name is "You Can the Toucan."

I was lucky enough to be at the Dental Health Theater on the day a show was performed for a YMCA class. Yes, they have a giant set of teeth! The theatre is obviously constructed with children in mind, as instead of chairs the floor is an arena-style semicircle of carpet-covered steps that double as seats. Although the crowd was mostly inner-city 3-5 year-olds, the woman who ran the theatre (in brightly-colored nurse's scrubs) controlled them with ease. I watched in amazement as she got them to compete to see who could make her the happiest. In fact, as the volunteer chaperones escorted them out after the show, I heard them use some of her very phrases. It turns out that the hostess is a former elementary school teacher herself.

The show itself was incredible. They certainly are large teeth. Apparently there were two sets of fiberglass teeth made (one is currently in California somewhere) and then the mold broke. Oh, and did I mention that the teeth light up? They light up by section, so that the hostess is able to explain which teeth are which, and what they're used for. Proper brushing is then demonstrated with a 6-foot tall brush.

A short video is shown starring the former ADA Saturday-morning spokesdinosaur "Dudley," on his first trip to the dentist. This is followed by a marionette show about a child who gets turned into a living pile of candy by "Mr. Tooth Decay" -- as assisted by two of the volunteer chaperones, and voiced by a tape which has to be at least 30 years old. Proper foods for healthy teeth are then explained via example. The whole show and theatre are sponsored by the Missouri ADA, in case you were wondering.

After the show, I asked the hostess if she enjoyed her job. "Yes, of course," she said. "I'm living the dream."

There is a set of fiberglass teeth 16 feet tall on display here, at the Dental Health Theatre at Laclede's Landing in downtown St. Louis.

I haven't been here, but this looks outstanding. I'm sure some of roadsideamerica.com's visitors will enjoy it. I know if I ever find myself in St. Louis, it will have to be one of the places I stop. Some of the things they have there include 3 foot illuminated fiberglass teeth with a giant toothbrush and floss for demonstrations, a puppet show, and dental movies.