February is National Children’s Dental Health Month and we are celebrating at Inspire Dental Group! This month-long observation is sponsored by the American Dental Association and brings together thousands of dedicated professionals, health care providers, and educators to promote the benefits of good oral health.

Developing good oral health habits at an early age and visiting the dentist regularly helps children get a good start on a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums. Take the time to sit down with your child and teach them the importance of dental health and what they can do to keep their mouth as healthy as possible! Here are five ways suggested by Colgate to celebrate this fun and educational holiday with your kids:

Get an Appointment Scheduled

Does your child have their next dentist appointment scheduled for their regular cleaning? If not, what a perfect time to pick up the phone and give the dentist a call to schedule your child’s appointment! You can also press this link to schedule online: https://www.inspiredentalgroup.com/#foobox-1/0/thefooboxcontent. Regular cleanings should take place every 6 months.  The more exposure to the dentist for children means the more comfortable they will be when it is their turn to go in for a cleaning. We suggest getting an appointment scheduled in February so you will have more time before another back-to-school visit in August!

Buy New Toothbrushes

Did you know that we recommend replacing your toothbrush every TWO months?! This means we should typically go through 6 toothbrushes in a year! The ADA warns that frayed bristles decreases the effectiveness of a toothbrush.  Celebrate National Children’s Dental Health Month by tossing out your old brushes and replacing them with new ones! Let your child pick out their favorite toothbrush to make brushing more fun!

Color a Chart

Get your children motivated by printing out activities regarding dental health! The ADA offers coloring pages and activity charts to help celebrate.  Print these out and have your child color and customize and hang on the bathroom wall. This will help remind kids to keep up with their brushing and flossing! You can even make this more fun by offering a small incentive at the end of the week if they are consistent. You find this chart as well as some other activities in the link below:

https://www.ada.org/~/media/ADA/Public%20Programs/Files/NCDHM%202020/2020NCDHM_BrushingCalendar_English20190812t151319.pdf?la=en

Do a Brushing Checkup

Do your children brush their teeth on their own? Take the time this month to supervise your child’s brushing habits and even brush your teeth with them! You may be surprised to find that some steps are skipped in their routine or that they brushing/flossing incorrectly. By doing this brushing check up you can ensure your child is learning the correct way to brush and floss their teeth.

Show Plaque

Plaque is hard to see and it is important for children to learn that it is there and that it can effect our teeth! Use a plaque-disclosing tablet to reveal the plaque on your teeth and point out the areas where plaque tends to build up. Then get to brushing the color away! This will reveal how long you should actually be brushing and where you should be brushing to remove plaque. You can find these tablets at a variety of stores including Walmart and Amazon! Some brands that make these include: Colgate, Oral-B, GUM, and more.

Celebrate National Children’s Dental Health Month with your kids this February by learning and practicing proper dental hygiene as a family! If your child is due for a cleaning please give us a call at 716-362-4800 to make an appointment or click on the floating schedule online link on the left side of this web page to schedule online!