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Putting anatomical names to the face: Face painting in the dental hygiene program

Overview: Anatomy coloring books have been on the scene for many years, but imagine seeing this as you walk by a classroom in the Dentistry wing of Health Sciences: Students are painting each other’s faces! In a traditional university classroom these learners are actively engaged in painting the muscles of the face on a classmate. You might shake your head and do a double-take but if you have spent time in the Dentistry wing, this is the kind of innovative, hands-on learning experience happening at the College of Dentistry at the University of Saskatchewan where art meets–and enhances–science. Active and experiential learning makes a huge difference in engagement, understanding, contextualization, and the retention of complex concepts for future “hands on” application. Using face painting as an educational tool is one example of how we're challenging traditional approaches and creating engaging, memorable learning experiences. In this post we explore why face painting might just be the future of dentistry-related anatomy education. (Estimated reading time: 5 minutes)

By Juliana Faquim

Anatomy classes need a shake-up

We all know how challenging anatomy can be. The traditional classroom setup, with its many lectures and heavy reliance on memorization and textbooks, often leaves students feeling disconnected from the material–real face anatomy. Let’s face it (pun intended 😉), passive learning (listening and watching) is usually not engaging and it can even be somewhat dry, uninspiring, and dis-engaging. Listening or reading without hands-on engagement makes it harder to retain complex and abstract concepts and connect them to the real world. For our learners in the College of Dentistry, this means the anatomy of the face and neck.

Add to this the growing number of challenges facing many institutions–limited access to cadavers, the high cost of maintaining these resources, and a reduction in the number of hours available for anatomy instruction are just a few. There is a clear need for new approaches that actively engage students and connect theory to practice. Not surprisingly students prefer learning experiences that feel relevant and hands-on, something that goes beyond rote memorization, and gives them an opportunity to apply what they’re learning in practical ways. To truly engage learners and enhance the effectiveness of anatomy education, we can adopt teaching strategies that make the learning process more active and engaging which can lead to better knowledge retention and application. Creating dynamic, interactive learning environments not only makes the content more accessible but also provides students with the opportunity to apply theory in practical ways, helping them consolidate their knowledge in a more meaningful and lasting way.

One solution: Face painting

Have you ever had your face painted or watched a child have their face painted? Have you seen the look of rapt attention on the face of the painter and the care with which the paint is applied? We see this same attention and care when our learners work together taking turns painting each other’s faces in the anatomy lab. It might sound a bit out there, but this approach is backed by a strong educational theory. Instead of just reading about the muscles of the face and neck in a textbook, students at the University of Saskatchewan’s Dental Hygiene Program are painting them on each other.

This hands-on activity transforms the anatomy lesson into an engaging, tactile experience. By painting facial and mastication muscles directly onto their classmates’ faces, students don’t just memorize terms, they experience the anatomy–they feel the anatomy under the paint brush. The two-dimensional nature of a static diagram becomes three dimensional and alive as they travel with the paint brush over the terrain of the face and neck. It's not just about getting creative with a paintbrush; it's about actively learning while building a visual map of these important muscles in real-time.

What makes this so effective? By physically painting the muscles, students directly interact with key anatomical concepts like origin, insertion, action, and surface landmarks. This approach blends theory with hands-on learning in a way that sticks, allowing the concepts to come to life in a truly dynamic way. But the benefits don’t stop there, this activity also connects directly to clinical practice, like extraoral and intraoral examinations, essential skills for any future dental hygiene professional.

Face painting merges theory with kinesthetic learning. When students engage their bodies in the process, they improve retention and recall of anatomical details. Plus, as they collaborate in teams and work closely–literally–with their partner, they get to experience firsthand the power of teamwork, something that’s just as crucial in healthcare as it is in the classroom. While fostering collaboration and team dynamics, this is an activity that makes anatomy not only memorable but also relevant to their future careers.

The results: A hit among students

So, how did students respond to this innovative approach? The feedback was overwhelmingly positive! A post-activity survey showed that 94.1% of students were satisfied with the face painting activity, and 100% reported feeling more engaged and interested in anatomy. The hands-on experience helped 88.2% of students better visualize anatomical structures, an essential skill as they move from theory to practical, real-world applications. Even more encouraging, every single student (100%) found the activity valuable for their future clinical practice.

But the benefits didn’t stop there. A whopping 81.2% of students reported a boost in confidence, which is exactly what we want for future healthcare professionals! The activity also helped students better understand facial muscle anatomy and function, bridging the gap between theory and its real-world application in ways that textbooks alone just can’t match. Our graduates will be working closely with faces for the entirety of their careers. For the one student who expressed some discomfort with the activity, we were reminded of the importance of ensuring voluntary participation, respecting personal boundaries, and of how it feels to be at the receiving end of care. It’s a valuable takeaway that will help us make future sessions even more inclusive and comfortable for everyone. Creating a safe and respectful learning environment is key to any successful educational experience.

Final thoughts: Learning can be fun and meaningful

At the end of the day, this face painting exercise showed that active learning can be both fun and impactful. By moving away from traditional passive methods and embracing innovative, hands-on activities, we can foster a deeper understanding of complex subjects like anatomy. It’s not just about making learning fun (though that’s a big part of it!); it’s about ensuring that students are gaining the practical knowledge they’ll need in their future clinical careers.

So, if you're in the world of education, especially in healthcare, think about how you can shake things up and create learning experiences that are as engaging as they are educational. As we discovered with face painting, a little creativity can go a long way in transforming a traditional subject into a truly memorable learning experience.

Juliana Faquim is with the College of Dentistry, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada. To find out more about how Juliana incorporated face painting into her course, you can reach her at juliana.faquim@usask.ca

Acknowledgements: Thank you to Chantal Lécuyer for reviewing this post. 

 

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