February is National Children's Dental Health Month (NCDHM)!
NCDHM is an annual observance during which dental and medical professionals focus efforts to improve the oral health of all children.
In
support of NCDHM, the AAP Oral Health Initiative is providing information
in the following areas:
Be sure to visit the American Dental Association's NCDHM Web page for
more information History The annual observance of children's dental health began as a 1-day event
in Cleveland, OH, on February 3, 1941. During that year, February 3-7 was designated as Children's Dental Health Week in Akron, OH.
The American
Dental Association held the first national observance of Children's Dental Health Day on February 8, 1949. This single day observance became a week-long event in 1955. In 1981, the program was extended to a
month-long celebration known today as National Children's Dental Health Month (NCDHM).
Since 1941, the observance has grown from a 2-city event into a nationwide program. The NCDHM messages reach millions of people in communities across the country and at numerous armed service bases abroad. Local observances often include poster, coloring, and essay contests, health fairs, free dental screenings, museum exhibits, classroom presentations and
dental office tours.
National Children's Dental Health Month (NCDHM) is an annual observance during which dental and medical professionals
focus efforts
to improve the oral health
of all children.
Learn more tthrough the
American Dental Association's NCDHM Web pae.
Activities for Children
Looking for fun activities to provide children in the celebration of
National Children's Dental Health Month?
The links below
can
get you started. (Please note: Links, organizations, information, and resources contained within this Web site do not
constitute an endorsement by the AAP or other collaborating organizations. The AAP is not responsible for the content of
these resources. Addresses, phone numbers, and Web addresses are as current as possible, but may change at any time.)
ADHA Kids Stuff- Provides links to activities and games related to children’s oral health.
AmyDH.com- Puzzles, song books, and stories about NCDHM are provided.
Apples4theteacher. com- Dental Health coloring pages make great practice activities for toddlers, preschool, and elementary children.
Brushing & Flossing to a Healthy Smile - Third grade students experiment to determine how brushing and flossing removes plaque with this AskERIC lesson plan.
Colgate Kids World- Provides oral health games and activities for children of all ages.
DLTK's Crafts for Kids- Coloring activities, books, and other crafts are listed for NCDHM.
Dental Health - AskERIC lesson teaches first graders how to brush and floss their teeth.
Dental Health Activities -Puppet pattern, songbook, and puzzles presented by the "SMILES" dental health program of San Diego County. Source has information on brushing, flossing, and more.
Dentist Wordsearch Puzzle - A printable word search puzzle on the topics of the dentist and dental health.
Healthy Teeth - An oral health education database featuring simple activities and experiments as well as easy to understand text for grades 3 to 6.
The Importance of Brushing Your Teeth - AskEric lesson uses a set of modeled teeth and a large toothbrush to demonstrate the correct way to brush and floss teeth.
Stay Away Tooth Decay - Teaches second and third graders about the importance of keeping their teeth clean.
Teacher Vision™ Healthy Teeth - Dental health is demonstrated using a simple experiment which allows youngsters to understand why their teeth can become stained.
Tooth Anatomy Printout - Short paragraph and a labeled tooth drawing to print out and use with young students. Includes glossary of tooth related vocabulary
Tooth Tally Project - First grade classes may participate in Wilburn Elementary Tooth Tally Project by counting, collecting data, sorting, and graphing the number of baby teeth lost by the children.
What Causes Tooth Decay? - Helps elementary school students understand the causes and implications of tooth decay.
