FEBRUARY IS NATIONAL CHILDREN’S DENTAL HEALTH MONTH
February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, a national health observance that brings together thousands of dedicated professionals, health care providers and educators to promote the benefits of good oral health to children, their caregivers, teachers and many others, according to the American Dental Association.
During the month of February, the ODA is airing radio spots about Children’s Dental Health Month. The radio ad discusses the importance of seeing a dentist who is a member of the ODA. These ads are playing on ONN radio stations across the state. The ODA is also running digital and social media ads with the same message.
The first Children’s Dental Health Day in America was held February of 1941 in Cleveland, and a week-long children’s dental health event was held in Akron that same year. These events were designed to draw attention to the importance of dental health for children. Following the example set in Cleveland and Akron, the American Dental Association held the first national observance of Children’s Dental Health Day on Feb. 8, 1949 and it became a weeklong event in 1955. Today, the ADA recognizes February as National Children’s Dental Health Month.
The ADA offers several resources for dentists to promote Children’s Dental Health Month.
Members can download free 12×18 posters in English and Spanish along with activity sheets for kids about dental health that can be downloaded from the ADA’s website.
The ADA also has created a National Children’s Dental Health Month Program Planning Guide to provide program coordinators, dental societies, teachers and parents with resources to promote the benefits of good oral health to children. The guide includes easy-to-do activities, program planning timetable tips, a sample National Children’s Dental Health Month proclamation and more.
To access these resources, visit https://www.ada.org/resources/community-initiatives/national-childrens-dental-health-month.
