February is National Children's Dental Health Month
2021 NCDHM Campaign
The February 2021 National Children's Dental Health Month is brought to you by the ADA. This month-long national health observance brings together thousands of dedicated professionals, healthcare providers, and educators to promote the benefits of good oral health to children, their caregivers, teachers and many others.
2021 NCDHM Poster
The 2021 NCDHM poster is brought to you by the ADA. This year's NCDHM campaign slogan is "Water, Nature's Drink!". Posters are 12"x18", English on the front and Spanish on the back. One pack contains 25 posters, orders are limited to 8 packs (200 posters). For orders larger than 200 posters, please email Elaine Barone, Coordinator (CAAP) at baronee@ada.org
Order the 2021 NCDHM Poster
Download Posters (available in 12"x18" and 8.5"x11"):
2021 NCDHM Program Planning Guide
The NCDHM Program Planning Guide provides program coordinators, dental societies, teachers, and parents with resources to promote the benefits of good oral health to children. The guide includes easy-to-do activities, program planning timetable tips, a sample NCDHM proclamation, and much, much more.
Download the 2021 NCDHM Program Planning Guide
Publicity Resources
There are many ways to publicize your oral health messages, events and activities. Here are some ideas that will help you get your messages placed:
Develop a list of the local newspapers, radio and television stations. Many libraries have media directories (such as Bacon's), which include addresses, phone numbers, names of editors or producers, and circulation or broadcast information.
The local phone directory is a good resource for locating news outlets. Don't forget community news or "free" papers, which often feature community events.
Press releases are bulletins that provide general information about a specific topic (sealants, mouth guards, early childhood caries, etc.) or an upcoming event, such as a dental health screening.
News articles should be typed, double-spaced, on organization letterhead or sent by email.
Good outlets for news releases include:
- Daily and weekly newspapers and Sunday newspaper supplements
- Newsprint shopping guides
- Hospital newsletters
- Library bulletin boards
- Health club newsletters
- Church bulletins
- Chamber of commerce newsletters
To download information about additional ways to publicize your program review the links below.
Fun Activity Sheets for Kids (English)
Hojas de Actividades Divertidas para Niños (Español)
Full Sets of Activity Sheets
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NCDHM History
National Children’s Dental Health Month (NCDHM) began as a one-day event in Cleveland, Ohio, on February 3, 1941. The American Dental Association held the first national observance of Children’s Dental Health Day on February 8, 1949. The single day observance became a week-long event in 1955. In 1981, the program was extended to a month-long observance known today as National Children’s Dental Health Month. Since 1941, the observance has grown from a two-city event into a nationwide program. NCDHM messages reach thousands of people in communities across the country and at numerous armed services bases. Local observances often include displays of posters provided by the ADA, coloring and essay contests, health fairs, free dental screenings, museum exhibits, classroom presentations by dentists and other members of the dental team, and dental office tours
Each February, the American Dental Association (ADA) sponsors National Children's Dental Health Month to raise awareness about the importance of oral health. NCDHM messages and materials have reached millions of people in communities across the country.
Developing good habits at an early age and scheduling regular dental visits helps children to get a good start on a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums.
Whether you're a member of the dental team, a teacher or a parent, the ADA has free online resources that can help you with oral health presentations, ideas for the classroom, and activity sheets that can be used as handouts. We also have booklets, videos and other materials available for purchase through our ADA Catalog.
Please direct all questions to ncdhm@ada.org.