“Does it taste like melon?”

Kathy Hamlett’s first patient shakes her head “no” and fortifies her grip on her stuffed companions.

Fox and reindeer already survived the elective screening, but then again, they didn’t get vitamins smeared all over their teeth.

The preschoolers aren’t crazy about the Fluoride.

Another victim says nothing, but stuffs at least six tissues into his mouth. He scrunches his face for added measure.

But he can be bought. He says he’ll try again if they give him strawberry flavor.

Renee Hoem, Smile Partners’ administrative assistant, talks the kids through the free exam and asks them about their brushing habits.

“We’re going to have you open wide, count your teeth,” she says.

“And we’re going to put a yummy vitamin on your teeth that makes your teeth grow big and strong. Would you like to see it?” she asks.

The soothing talk sets the preschoolers at ease and in a matter of minutes, they’re giggling at the goofy tooth erasers they discover in their goodie bags.

“Your parents’ report card is they’re doing a good job,” Hamlett announces, as Hoem slips a paper into the bag with the results of the screening.

No cavities, no signs of decay. But lots of crushed goldfish.

Smile Partners has served seniors on Bainbridge Island since 2008, but the visit to Peacock Family Center marks the first time the nonprofit has worked with island kids.

“Our goal, with the generous support from the Murdock Trust, is to grow by 500 preschool patients per year during the next three school years,” executive director Imbert Matthee explained.

“That will double our total from the current 1,500 to 3,000 — all as part of our mission to set up the kids with proper oral health care for their many years in school.”

Each preschool patient costs the organization roughly $87, covering a site coordinator and hygienist, transportation, consumables and administrative support.

Normally, there’s also an educational component to the visits, which are made triannually, but on this particular Friday, the box of puppets went unstowed.

“We’ll have to reschedule,” Matthee said.

It made no difference to the 3-year-olds, who would be at daycare anyway, regardless of whether or not they met Mr. Teeth.

That’s one of the advantages of the program, Matthee explained. It saves parents time and planning. Since Smile Partners brings oral healthcare straight to the classroom, parents can use their vacation days for actual vacation — instead of trips to the dentist.

Meanwhile, the kids are learning. During the presentation, Smile Partners staff teach them about tools used to count teeth, radiographs and wearing a lead apron. With the help of a mega mouth, they also cover circular brushing and the importance of flossing with parental supervision.

Of course, Dora’s stamp of approval makes the whole process less scary. To acclimate the preschoolers, the presenters often follow a book, like “Show Me Your Smile: A Visit to the Dentist with Dora the Explorer.”

Matthee underscores that kids are never too young to learn about oral hygiene.

“Our goal is that kids would be cavity free when they graduate high school, but the key is to start really early,” he said.