14 Days of Valentines will resume on Saturday as I want to get to a few other things before that. Plus, I’m still working on a few things for my 14 Days of Valentines series, so I want to make sure that I have all of that together before we delve back in. In the meanwhile, February is a special month. Aside from being my birth month, there are quite a few special things about February that we’re going to cover this week. For example, did you know that February is National Children’s Dental Health Month here in the United States? With all of the sweets being consumed this month for Valentine’s Day, plus the runoff from Christmas (we still have candy canes laying around); sometimes it might be easy to let our dental health needs slide. But, as we know, this is something important that we really should stay on top of. From establishing early toothbrushing habits for babies to maintaining good dental health throughout childhood, I’ve gathered up a few resources to bring some fun to this topic.
So, admittedly, maybe this isn’t the most exciting topic in the world- especially for a kid. Unless of course you’re involving the tooth fairy into the deal- in which case, you just might peak their interest a little bit more. But how else can you get kids excited about brushing their teeth? Here are a few ways to do so- some might be better for a particular age group and others are all age friendly.
- Ingles360 shares Dental Health Crafts
- B-Inspired Mama shares Toddler Teethbrushing Tips
- Kids Activities Blog Challenges Kids to Brush Their Teeth
- The PreK Pages shares a Dental Health Unit
- Living Montessori Now shares a Montessori Inspired Dental Health Unit
- Teach Preschool talks about the importance of Brushing Our Teeth & Toothbrush Water Play
- Still Playing School shares Dental Inspired Sensory Play
- Growing Book by Book shares a fun game and song for Brushing the Germs Away
- Feels Like Home shares 9 Tips to Get Your Toddler To Brush Their Teeth
- Your Modern Family shares 5 Tips to Eliminate Sensitivity in Teeth & How To Keep Cavities Out
- Childhood 101 shares tips for Toothbrushing with Kids
- Mum in the Madhouse shares tips for Getting Your Children to Brush Their Teeth
How else can you make dental care fun? Or at least somewhat more appealing and less intimidating… why not try books. If you’re unsure of where to start, here’s a list of 11 books to get you started. Look for them at your local library or purchase directly from Amazon.
- Open Wide: Tooth School Inside by Laurie Keller.
- Dentist (First Time) by Jess Stockham
- Flossy and Toothy Save Your Smileby Melissa Larsen.
- Brush Your Teeth Please (a Pop Up Book) by Leslie McGuire
- The Berenstain Bears Visit the Dentist by Stan and Jan Berenstain
- Brush, Brush, Brush (Rookie Toodler) by Alicia Padron
- The Tooth Book: A Guide to Healthy Teeth and Gums by Edward Miller
- Throw Your Tooth on the Roof: Tooth Traditions From Around the World by Shelby Beeler
- Truman’s Loose Tooth by Kristine Wurm
- Just Going to the Dentist (Little Critter) by Mercer Meyer
- The Tooth Book by Dr. Seuss
The American Dental Association also has a website dedicated just to children’s dental health called Mouth Healthy Kids that’s targeted towards kids and another website called Mouth Healthy that’s more for parents.
And if you need more resources for Children’s Dental Health Month, check out my Pinterest board:
Follow Just Another Mom’s board Dental Health on Pinterest.
Kori
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I am thankful that my kids are really good about brushing and going to the dentist. So far so good with their teeth!
Maybe this is why my kids have these appointments this month… today we had to cancel cause of the snow.
My son llikes brushing his teeth. Going to dentist may not be his favorite thing to do. But, he is ok with it!
It’s always been a struggle with my kids to get them to brush their teeth and do it well. Some of these resources might come in handy!
Great resources!
Oh, we’ve JUST been to the dentist too. When I say “we” I mean my son and he has GOT to do a better job. Thanks for your tips!
My daughter has incredible teeth! She’s 14, just got her braces off and has never had a cavity.
Dental health is so important! I am lucky my kids all have good teeth! Thanks for sharing…
I’m crazy about tooth health for my kids. I actually need to be better with me.
So funny you posted this! I took my middle one to the dentist today! He had a few cavities but they are in baby teeth that are ready to fall out! My Lo loves brushing his teeth!
It is soooo important though, and if books help make it more interesting for kids, I’m all for it!
Love this, we just started brushing our daughter’s first little teeth!
great list of books. my kids are ok with brushing so it wasn’t so hard for us.
Great tips. I have one child who has bad bacteria – we all work as hard as we can to keep their teeth clean, and he has had so many cavities! I always feel like a bad parent when the dentist is showing me all the cavities, and telling me what I should be doing different…
Ugh, we missed our dentist appointment for the little guy because of snow/bad weather. We have to reschedule.
My two year old love brushing his teeth. He is no expert, but as long as he trying I am happy!
I think visiting a Dental care is always a good thing to make sure everything is good enough. My kids are really good as they brush twice a day & they are so co-operative as well, when they need a dentist help.
My kids are pretty good at brushing their teeth and flossing. They also love the dentist.
Since we’re on the topic of Dental Health Month for Kids, can anyone tell me if they still make that mouthwash for kids that “colors” where they’ve missed brushing? I wanted to get it for my nephew and have been looking – don’t see it anywhere. I remember it when I was younger. Is it discontinued or something?
Great resources! My son learned a cute song in pre-k that he’s been singing as I brush his teeth.
My daughter is pretty good with her teeth. We started early and now at 3 she is pretty thorough getting way back tops and bottoms. We still have days though that are a battle.
So important for Mom or Dad to start taking care of babies teeth! These are great resources and I sure could have used these when my son was young. But my sister needs some of these ideas!
The selection of books should help toddlers in their oral care!