It’s officially one of our favorite months — National Children’s Dental Health Month! Every February, the American Dental Association promotes children’s dental health all month long, which is certainly something your pediatric dentist in Reynoldsburg can get behind. Each year has a different theme surrounding the observance. This year’s theme is “Fluoride in water helps prevent cavities! Get it from the tap!”

Celebrate With Fun Activities

Part of what makes National Children’s Dental Health Month so great is that the ADA provides all sorts of fun activities for parents and dentists to use to help make dental care fun for children. The best part? It’s all free on the ADA website.

Do your part this February (and all year round) to help your child build a strong and healthy smile by using these free tools. Some of the activities include:

Posters
Crossword Puzzles
Coloring Sheets
Maze Ditto Sheets
The Fun Doesn’t Stop There!

We know that brushing your teeth can sound more like a chore than something fun, but we promise that there are creative ways that you can have fun while taking care of your little one’s teeth.

Start a Brushing Chart. The ADA provides a free brushing chart that you can print out on fun-colored paper and use stickers each time your child brushes for 2 minutes or more.
Take Brushing to the Play Room. We don’t recommend actually having your child brush anywhere without a sink (can you imagine how messy that would be?!), but you can use your child’s favorite toys to help encourage healthy brushing habits. Get a cheap, for-toys-only toothbrush and allow your child to brush her toys’ teeth while playing.
Practice with an Egg Carton. Take a clean, old egg carton, a piece of string, and an old toothbrush to practice brushing and flossing. You can even hide little pieces of paper or Playdoh in the crevices to help show your child just how important it is to both brush and floss to remove particles on and in between teeth.
Read! There are a ton of children’s books out there that feature the main character’s first trip to the dentist, or how they can care for their smile on their own.

Besides finding fun ways to make brushing fun for your child at home and educating them on good oral health habits early, make sure you bring her to your pediatric dentist in Reynoldsburg at least twice a year for regular cleanings, checkups, fluoride treatments, and even sealants. These bi-annual appointments are important to not only protect tiny teeth from decay and cavities but to also make sure teeth are developing properly.

National Children’s Dental Health Month has been celebrated each and every February since 1941 and has been instrumental in increasing the awareness of the importance of childhood oral healthcare. We encourage you to use the free tools available to you as part of this campaign to ensure proper hygiene habits and a good understanding of dental care. Establishing these key life lessons early can set your child up for a lifetime of smiles.