Brush up for National Children’s Dental Health Month

A healthy smile? It’s easy to achieve, especially if you “remember to brush and floss every day!” That’s the message from the American Dental Association this February in honor of National Children’s Dental Health Month. But as any parent knows, getting kids excited about oral hygiene isn’t exactly easy. To the rescue: fun activity sheets and posters you can download and print

A healthy smile? It’s easy to achieve, especially if you “remember to brush and floss every day!” That’s the message from the American Dental Association this February in honor of National Children’s Dental Health Month. But as any parent knows, getting kids excited about oral hygiene isn’t exactly easy. To the rescue: fun activity sheets and posters you can download and print (find them at msxhealthandlife.com/dentalhealth). Dentists across the country are talking it up, too. “I go into local schools to teach kids about dental hygiene,” says Alexander Anastasiou, D.M.D., a pediatric dentist at Associates in Family & Pediatric Dentistry in Millburn (973.762.1110, familyandpediatricdentistry.com). “We make it interactive and fun. It’s important for kids to take ownership of caring for their teeth at a young age.” And with some dental offices doubling as entertainment zones, offering distractions like movies, flat-screen TVs and PlayStation, kids’ dental checkups just may become something they’ll actually look forward to!