February is Dental Health Month

 

Brushing Basics

Invite the children to join you for a discussion on brushing basics. You could even purchase an inexpensive toothbrush for each child, or request free samples from your dentist. A bottle of fluoride rinse and some floss are other oral hygiene items that kids should be familiarized with.

Following are some preschool appropriate discussion points on dental health:

• ~ Brushing and flossing keeps teeth and gums clean and healthy.
• ~ Teeth need to be brushed 2-3 times each day.
• ~ Floss is important because it cleans the places in between your teeth that your brush can't get to.
• ~ Cavities are holes in teeth caused by tooth decay.
• ~ Tooth decay happens in places that aren't brushed or flossed carefully enough.
• ~ Fluoride rinse helps to fight cavities and makes teeth stronger.
• ~ Choosing healthy foods and drinks helps our teeth stay strong too. What kinds of foods and drinks do you think might be good for your teeth?

Floss Painting

Put the focus on flossing with this creative art process.
Supplies:

• ~ Construction paper
• ~ Unwaxed dental floss
• ~ Craft sticks
• ~ Tape
• ~ Paint in a variety of colors

Directions:

• ~ Tape a short piece of floss onto a craft stick to create a painting tool.
• ~ Dip the painting tool into some paint that has been poured out into a shallow pan or paper plate. Then set the tool down on one half of the paper.
• ~ Fold the paper over in half.
• ~ Press down on the paper with the palm of your hand as you pull the tool out.
• ~ Repeat the process several times using different colors of paint.

Credit: The Mailbox