February is National Children's Dental Health Month

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.

2019 NCDHM Campaign

The February 2019 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.

This year's NCDHM campaign slogan is "Brush and clean in between to build a healthy smile"

2019 NCDHM Poster

Order the 2019 NCDHM Poster

The 2019 NCDHM poster is brought to you by the ADA. Join the "Smile Builders" in promoting oral health with their message, "Brush and clean in between to build a healthy smile". Posters are 12"x18", English on the front and Spanish on the back. Each pack contains 25 posters, orders are limited to 8 packs (200 posters). For orders larger than 200 posters, please call Sharee Clough, Manager, Preventive Health Activities (CAAP) at 312.440.2775.

Download Posters (available in 12"x18" and 8.5"x11"):


12"x18"/ Poster Size	12"x18"/ Poster Size
Download Poster	Download Poster (Spanish)
8.5"x11"/ Flyer Size	8.5"x11"/ Flyer Size
Download Flyer	Download Flyer (Spanish)

2019 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 2019 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: