This week is Dental Health Week 2024 and it’s a great opportunity to teach kids about the importance of oral hygiene. Sometimes teeth cleaning can feel like a chore, but we’ve thought up some fun activities to make oral hygiene enjoyable for kids of all ages!
What is Dental Health Week
Dental health is important every week of the year, but each year we mark Dental Health Week as an opportunity to highlight the importance of oral health. We are getting busier and busier, with more priorities and jobs to do; often the dentist is the first thing we’ll cancel if things get too much.
Dental Health Week is a great opportunity to remind people of the importance of their yearly or six-monthly checkups.
This year, we’re also taking the opportunity to promote oral health to our youngest little patients. Starting good oral hygiene early is critical to creating good habits for adulthood!
Dental Health Week activities for toddlers
Toddlers might be small, but they’ve got a whole set of teeth in that little mouth that needs to be cleaned! This age can often be one of the more challenging when it comes to teeth cleaning, but it’s also the most important because setting up healthy and happy oral hygiene habits young can create lifelong habits, too!
Here are some Dental Health Week ideas for toddlers:
- Sing songs about cleaning your teeth. You can find lots on YouTube or you could make up your own!
- Create a sticker chart for each time your toddler cleans their teeth
- Go shopping for a toothbrush with their favourite character on it
- Clean your teeth alongside your toddler and include games – maybe see who can clean their teeth for the longest time.
Dental Health Week activities for preschoolers
At this age, your child probably has a lot of questions about the world and why things work the way they do. Here are some ways to harness their curiosity into positive dental health habits:
- Why not have a conversation about their mouth during Dental Health Week? Talk about how and why. You could mention things like why teeth placement allows for proper speech, or how your gums hold teeth in place.
- Visit the library to search for books about teeth, or even look for books with covers of people smiling and discuss what you like about their smile.
- Create an interactive game when brushing your teeth. You could see who could brush their teeth the longest, or who is the most efficient at flossing.
- Buy a sand timer to encourage your child to clean for two minutes. We also give these out to children after their visit, along with a toothbrush, paste and floss in their very own ‘Kids Pack’.
- Cut out a tooth shape on yellow paper. Using a toothbrush and white paint, have your child paint the tooth white to show how proper brushing is important.
- Check out some fun and engaging phone apps like Wiggles Brush, Brush Monster, and Colgate Brushing Adventure.
Dental Health Week activities for childcare groups
Awareness weeks like Dental Health Week can be great opportunities for activities at childcare. If you’re a childcare educator and want to use this week as inspiration for your week’s activities, why not consider:
- Inviting a dentist to come and speak to your class. They can help explain the importance of healthy teeth to your class.
- Provide healthy snacks and have a conversation about why healthy food is important for our teeth, as well as the rest of our body.
- Make a dental hygiene kit to send home with each child. Your local dentist might be able to help you out with some goodies to include!
- Make dental floss art! It could make necklaces or be used as a texture on paintings.
- We’d love to see how you celebrate Dental Health Week this year, so don’t forget to tag us in your pictures: @mavendental
And if you’re due for a dental check-up, book your appointment for this Dental Health Week today!