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February is an important month for teaching children about oral health. During National Children's Dental Health Month, dentists, hygienists, dental societies and schools offer activities designed to help children develop behavior that leads to good oral health.
The forerunner of National Children's Dental Health Month was a one-day event in Cleveland, Ohio on February 3, 1941. The Ohio event expanded nationwide in 1949, when the American Dental Association (ADA) held its first Children's Dental Health Day. The celebration grew to include the entire month of February in 1981.
Delta Dental is sponsoring many oral health activities throughout New Jersey and
Connecticut this month.
Captain Supertooth
The "caped superhero of dental hygiene" is visiting 38 schools throughout January and February to promote the importance of early preventive dental care. Sponsored by Delta Dental, the Captain Supertooth program has instructed nearly 41,000 schoolchildren about proper dental care since it began in 1990.
Children's Dental Health Awareness Day
This one-day event sponsored by our Foundation and the UMDNJ-Dental School will be held at Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, New Jersey, on February 27. The program is geared toward preschool through teenage children.
A variety of fun, educational activities encourage improved oral hygiene, preventive dental care, and good nutrition. These activities include interactive learning stations, carnival-style games, dental-related arts and crafts, and an "Ask the Dentist" station where dentists from our staff and Board meet with the families to discuss dental-related concerns. Volunteers from Delta Dental, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, and the Hudson County Dental Society contribute their time and dental knowledge to this program, which has approximately 3,000 attendees. |
