The month of February 2020 will see the arrival of the National Children’s Dental Health Month organized by the American Dental Association. This is a month-long program that draws together thousands of dental specialists, healthcare providers, educators to promote the advantages of good oral hygiene for children, their caregivers, teachers, and many more.
The ADA has conjured up a slogan for the campaign which states “Brush and Clean in between to Build a Healthy Smile.” The month-long campaign will see the ADA interacting with parents and kids not just to clean the top and sides of their teeth but also between each tooth.
Social Media Platforms like Facebook and Twitter Supporting the Campaign
These days when even an act like sneezing or frowning finds a mention on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter can it be expected that the ADA would stay away from promoting the dental health month for children over social media? Thankfully, they haven’t and people that want to get the latest updates or share tips on how the message of good oral health among children can be spread can easily access the information by visiting the NCDHM page. People can also contact participating dental professionals like the dentist in Chicago IL and the dentist from Eastside IL for information if they for any reason are unable to download the NCDHM program planning guide which is freely available over the Internet.
Why Is the ADA Organizing NCDHM?
Questions may be raised by many people about why the ADA is organizing the NCDHM campaign for children when dentists throughout the country are making all efforts necessary to provide children with the best care possible. Some skeptics may even comment that the effort is a waste of resources that could have been used better elsewhere.
The ADA has valid reasons to promote a campaign of this type considering that nearly 40 percent of all children need fillings in their mouths before reaching kindergarten. The problem is even worse in Washington where approximately 60 percent of children are affected by tooth decay of some kind. The data is not a reflection on dentists who may be assumed are not providing proper dental care for children. However, if dental problems are still affecting children despite the commendable services provided by dentists it is an indication that more education about the oral health of children needs to be imparted to the parents, caregivers, teachers, and many more.
The ADA along with the participants will be hoping that the message of the campaign will be absorbed by the general public to attempt to bring about a reduction in dental health problems among children.
Will the Campaign Achieve Its Goals?
The oral health of children does not receive the attention it deserves despite advice provided by pediatric dentists. Varied reasons exist for the lack of attention given to the dental healthcare needs of children. Many people believe that the oral health of children does not deserve the importance being demanded because the baby teeth will fall off by the age of six. It is a misconception among people that dental care only needs to begin from the age of six or after the permanent teeth have erupted.
Family dental care has performed fillings on babies as young as two years old for cavities that developed from tooth decay confirming that dental care for children must begin even before the first tooth erupts at around six months of age. It may be assumed that parents of newborns would be confused about how they should care for baby teeth that do not exist and it is precisely for these reasons that the ADA is attempting to bring together thousands of professionals and others to educate parents about the dental care needs of children from infancy until the preteens.
It must also be mentioned that some people may not have access to proper dental care or may not be in a position to afford the same. The campaign is an effort on the part of the ADA to educate people about the dental health of their children throughout February with the assumption that parents, caregivers, teachers, and others will continue to push the message forward after the end of the campaign over. People that miss the campaign for any reason can always contact Evergreen park dentist or Family Dental Care for all information they need about pediatric dental care.
