The purpose of this study was to examine whether brushing education at a dental hygienist training school could equip students with practical skills for plaque removal. Intraoral photographs were taken of plaque disclosure staining that was done before and after brushing training. After a week of brushing practice, plaque staining and intraoral photography were performed again. The plaque index was evaluated by a new method that can grasp the residual state of plaque, which affects both caries and periodontal disease. After the first and second brushing exercises, the plaque index decreased significantly compared to before the brushing exercises. It was shownthat the plaque index clearly decreased after the second brushing training compared to before the first brushing training. In addition, many subjects were able to improve their oral cleaning condition by repeating brushing training.

From the above results, we concluded that it is necessary to repeat hands‐on training and lectures in order to acquire the skills toconstantly remove plaque. Dental hygienists would like to improve patient instruction methods to reduce the prevalence of dental caries and periodontal disease. Shika Igaku (J Osaka Odontol Soc) 2021; Oct; 84(2):69‐75.

We held a problem‐based workshop for the first‐year students to understand sustainable development goals (SDGs). Along with global warming, water pollution and a one‐year chronological table of the history of life on the earth, a group of students was created to determine environmental problems and consider future measures to deal with them. A questionnaire was conducted at the beginning of the lesson. The generation of carbon dioxide, which is a cause of global warming, is often caused by human activities. Lifestyle must be considered because it is related to abnormal weather and an increase in sea level. We also recognized that water pollution caused by humans could cause the extinction of fish that have survived for hundreds of millions of years. In addition, by creating a one‐year chronological table of the history of life, we learned that human activities drastically changed the global environment in a very short time. The solutions become more feasible and imaginative because the students themselves grasped the current situation through active learning. The results of the questionnaire on solutions also showed an increase in the number of original and generic solutions for this class compared to previous ones. We believe that the students realized the importance of discovering and solving their own problems in learning to understand SDGs, which is required of them as members of society and as dentists. Shika Igaku (J Osaka Odontol Soc) 2021; Oct; 84(2):76‐83.