The slogan for February 2017’s National Children’s Dental Health Month (NCDHM) is “Choose Tap Water for a Sparkling Smile.” Poster from ADA.org.
Every year, the American Dental Association (ADA) and the ADA Foundation dedicate the month of February to the promotion of good oral and dental health for children, their teachers, and caregivers. Annually, thousands of dedicated healthcare providers, dental professionals, and educators help educate communities across the nation about the importance of positive dental health habits.
This observance takes place during the month of February and is known as National Children’s Dental Health Month (NCDHM) and a campaign slogan is selected to provide a specific area of focus for the public education thats targeted towards children’s dental health. This year the slogan is “Choose Tap Water for a Sparkling Smile” (see official campaign poster to the right). You will notice in the poster that in addition to the message about choosing tap water, the images also have an emoji that displays the message, “I love tap water” using the famous NCDHM characters the McGrinns, the Smileys, and K9. Let’s talk more about this slogan and what it means for the dental health of children.
Why Tap Water is Good for Children’s Teeth
We encourage the community, especially children, to choose tap water for their go-to beverage throughout the day for two primary reasons:
- Tap water contains fluoride which can help prevent tooth decay and keep teeth protected from cavities. On an annual basis, American students are missing 51 million hours of school because of oral health issues. In fact, children as young as only two or three years old can be subject to pain caused by numerous cavities that can occur from a lack of fluoride and improper or inadequate tooth brushing. The study published by the NCBI states in the abstract, “Children with poorer oral health status were more likely to experience dental pain, miss school, and perform poorly in school. These findings suggest that improving children’s oral health status may be a vehicle to enhancing their educational experience.”
- Children who consume excessive sugary drinks are more prone to dental caries. Water is the best choice for children’s hydration. A recent study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics in January 2017 demonstrated that between 2011 and 2014, nearly two-thirds of all American kids consumed at least one sugary beverage on a given day and approximately 30 percent of kids consumed two or more sugary drinks per day.
We Enjoy Helping Children Achieve a Healthy Smile
We love paying special attention to the needs of our adolescent patients at Padden Dental. In fact, we often treat children as young as one-year old, or even younger, as we recommend children start coming in for regular dental checkups after their first tooth has erupted. Learn more about dental care tips for infants and toddlers in our recent blog post.
If you or your child/children are in need of a friendly family dentist in Vancouver, Washington – we can’t wait to meet you! Call us today at (360) 213-1999 to schedule an appointment.