The month of February is all about helping instill good dental hygiene habits with your children. Two Rivers Family Dental invites you to participate with your children in National Children's Dental Health Month.

"This year, the ADA is celebrating the 75th anniversary of water flouridation as part of Children's Dental Health Month. This is one of the top 10 public health achievements of the 20th century. Pediatric oral health is incredibly important, so we wanted to recognize this landmark in our community," said Dr. Chris Hansen. 

What is Children's Dental Health Month?

The idea of making parents, teachers, and children more aware of the importance of brushing and positive dental habits has been with us as far back as February 1941. Two cities in Ohio, Akron and Cleveland, first conceived of a day and week of celebration respectively to draw attention toward helping young people learn more about caring for their teeth. You can read more about the fascinating history on the Ohio Dental Association website.

At Two Rivers Family Dental, we believe that raising awareness and teaching your children about taking good care of your teeth is more relevant than ever. Did you know that people living in the United States consume 50 gallons of sugary beverages every year? A steady diet of sticky food and drink and snacking througout the day is a dangerous path towards tooth decay!

You can reduce your child's risk of tooth decay by doing the following:

  • If you are going to consume sugary foods and drinks, have them during meals when saliva production is high and does a better job of neutralizing acid production and rinsing food particles from the mouth
  • Stay away from between-meal snacks
  • If your children like chewing gum, give them sugarless gum, which can help wash out food particles
  • Prefer water or low-fat milk over unhealthy sugary beverages
  • Help your children develop good daily brushing and flossing habits
  • Schedule regular dental visits for your children
  • Talk to your dentist about what sort of training cup to use for your toddler

Fluoride in water prevents cavities! Get it from the tap!

This marks the 75th year of community water flouridation, so to commemorate the milestone, the American Dental Association (ADA) has adopted as its slogan "Fluoride in water prevents cavities! Get it from the tap!"

In 1945, Grand Rapids, Michigan, became the first city in the world to fluoridate its drinking water. The ADA remains committed to fluoridation of public water supplies as the single most effective public health measure to help prevent tooth decay.

More than 70 years of scientific research has consistently shown that an optimal level of fluoride in community water is safe and effective and prevents tooth decay by at least 25% in both children and adults. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention named community water fluoridation one of 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century.

Enter the Two Rivers Family Dental Coloring Contest

Finally, to celebrate National Children's Dental Health Month, our offices will be holding a coloring contest!

To enter, stop by our office and pick up pages for your child to color. Or, you can download them here and print them out. Be sure to include your name and phone number on your entry so that we can call if you win!