One of the joys of working with children is when they express their joy in seeing you. That has been especially true this summer. For many children, a visit to the dentist has been the first trip away from home and family this summer. For that reason, some are really excited when they come to our office.
I recently saw one of my favorite patients. While only eight years old, she has already expressed interest in being a dentist when she grows up. She is always excited when she comes to the office.
That was no exception this summer. Even with all of our extra protective equipment on, she was still excited for her visit. In fact, she was so excited, that she went home and made personal protective equipment for her doll. So sweet.
Her imagination gave me the idea to make child and doll sized face shields like the ones I was making for my office.
Since I didn’t have any young children, I used the average size head for an eight year old and adjusted my STL file. The shield I made was 6″ in diameter and fits a head 16-20″ in circumference.
Not having any dolls around the house (the result of raising four boys), I went on Amazon and purchase a doll for myself. Perhaps I just want something to play with. Or, perhaps I am planning for future grandchildren. In either case, I now have a Journey Girl doll that graces my sewing room. Measuring the size of the head, I adjusted the STL file to make a shield that is 4″ in diameter and will fit the head of an 18-20″ doll (American Girl, Journey Girl, etc).
To complete the PPE ensemble, I also printed appropriate sized ear savers.
After printing a Doll set and a Child set, I gifted these to my patient. She loved them. Her mom sent me numerous photos of her pretending to be a dentist, complete with her doll as her assistant.
Given how much she enjoyed the face shields, I thought maybe other children would enjoy being like their mom or dad, or the favorite health care worker. Thus, I have posted these on Etsy. If you have someone who might like a set, you can purchase at the link.
Erickson's Heirlooms 