February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, a time to help kids learn how to care for their teeth and build healthy habits that last a lifetime. Dental health is important year round, but you can take time to discuss during the month of February. Help children learn simple routines like brushing twice a day, flossing daily, eating healthy foods, and visiting the dentist regularly.

Strong and healthy teeth support happy smiles, confident speaking, and overall health. Small daily habits make a big difference!

Teach your child to keep their teeth healthy

• Brush your teeth 2 times a day for 2 minutes.
• Use a soft toothbrush and toothpaste.
• Floss once a day to clean between teeth.
• Drink water and eat healthy foods.
• Limit candy and sugary drinks.
• Visit the dentist twice a year.

After learning about healthy teeth, you can help your child create a paper tooth craft. Adding toothpaste and a toothbrush will remind them of the importance of daily brushing.

To begin print out the pages of the tooth and toothbrush. You can print on colored construction paper or cardstock. Choose any color for the toothbrush and toothpaste.

After, have your child cut out the pieces using scissors. Cutting with scissors is an important skill that will build fine motor skills for hand development. Have your child do the cutting independently and remember it is okay if it is not perfect.

Now you are ready to glue the arms onto the side of the tooth. Attach the arms and then bend the arms by folding them in half.

Next, you can glue the toothpaste and toothbrush into the hands of the tooth. Add one on each side. You can also glue the thumb down to have the tooth hold onto to the toothbrush.

Now it is time to add details onto the tooth. Use markers and small scraps of paper to add eyes and mouth to the tooth. You can also have your child add a bow tot he top of his/her tooth.

As an extension, you can have your child list ways to keep their teeth healthy on the back of the tooth.

Ways to Keep My Teeth Healthy!

• Brush my teeth two times every day.
• Brush for 2 minutes to clean all my teeth.
• Floss to clean between my teeth.
• Drink lots of water.
• Eat healthy foods like fruits, veggies, cheese, and yogurt.
• Eat less candy and sugary snacks.
• Skip soda and sweet drinks when I can.
• Visit the dentist 2 times each year.
• Change my toothbrush when it gets old.
• Smile big and take care of my teeth!