When Is Dental Health Month? Key Dates, What It Means, and How to Take Action

Quick Answer: When Is Dental Health Month?

In the United States, the nationally recognized observance is National Children’s Dental Health Month in February , coordinated with resources from the American Dental Association (ADA). This campaign is observed every February to promote good oral health for children and their caregivers [1] . In addition, the UK’s Oral Health Foundation runs National Smile Month across late spring-specifically
12 May to 12 June 2025
-to raise awareness of key oral health issues for all ages [2] .

What Dental “Health Month” Covers and Why It Matters

February’s National Children’s Dental Health Month (NCDHM) focuses on creating and reinforcing daily habits that reduce cavities and gum problems in childhood. According to the ADA, this month brings together providers, educators, and families to promote benefits of oral health with accessible, kid-friendly tools such as brushing calendars, posters, and coloring sheets [1] . These resources help children track routines like brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, which supports prevention and long-term oral health outcomes [1] .

National Smile Month complements this focus by reaching broader audiences-parents, adults, schools, workplaces, and community groups-over a four-week window. The Oral Health Foundation uses this period to amplify simple, evidence-based messages such as brushing twice daily, limiting sugar, and maintaining regular dental visits [2] .

Key Dates You Can Plan Around

Use these anchor points to schedule events, campaigns, and family routines:

February (Annual): National Children’s Dental Health Month (U.S.). Expect new ADA educational materials each year, often including posters, coloring sheets, and calendars [1] .
12 May-12 June 2025: National Smile Month (UK), a major awareness campaign emphasizing daily oral hygiene and preventive care for all ages [2] .

Industry calendars frequently highlight additional, awareness-friendly dates throughout the year-useful for practices and community groups to keep oral health top-of-mind. For example, dental marketing guides call out February as National Children’s Dental Health Month and list other oral-health-themed observances for planning purposes [3] .

How Families Can Participate in February

February is the ideal month to build sustainable family routines. Here is a practical, step-by-step approach you can apply:

Set a daily routine: Choose consistent morning and evening brushing times for children and use a simple chart or an ADA brushing calendar to track progress. The ADA offers annual brushing calendars to help kids mark each day they brush and floss [1] .
Use child-friendly tools: Download kid-focused posters and coloring sheets to reinforce the why behind brushing-many are offered in both English and Spanish to increase accessibility [1] .
Book preventive visits: Consider scheduling dental checkups during February to align with the month’s theme. You can ask your current dental office about fluoride treatments and sealants appropriate for your child’s age.
Make it positive: Consider small non-food rewards when kids meet weekly brushing goals. Many parents use sticker charts or coloring milestones to keep motivation high.
Address habits gradually: If your child struggles with brushing, try shorter, more frequent sessions and build up. For younger kids, parents may need to do the brushing until the child develops the dexterity to do it effectively.

Potential challenges and solutions:
If your child resists brushing, rotate toothbrush colors or characters to make it fresh. If time is a barrier, set timed reminders on a family device and pair brushing with an established habit (after breakfast and before bedtime). If access to pediatric dental care is limited, you can contact your local dental society or pediatric dental association for referrals; search for “pediatric dentist” along with your city and state, or ask your insurance plan for an in-network directory.

How Schools and Community Programs Can Engage

Schools, libraries, youth programs, and community centers often run February activities that make oral health engaging. Consider the following implementation plan:

Host a week-long challenge: Provide students with printable brushing calendars and reward classes that complete the most consecutive days. ADA’s printable materials are designed for classroom use and emphasize correct brushing steps [1] .
Integrate short lessons: Use five-minute daily tips covering topics like fluoride toothpaste use, snack choices, and why regular dental checkups matter. Reinforce these messages with coloring sheets for younger grades [1] .
Invite a local dentist: Coordinate a brief classroom talk or virtual Q&A. Provide advance questions from students and send families home with a one-page brushing guide and calendar.
Run a family night: Demonstrate brushing and flossing on large models, distribute take-home kits, and showcase where families can find affordable dental services in your area (school nurses or counselors can maintain a local referral list).

Alternatives and adaptations:
If printing is limited, display ADA posters on a screen in classrooms or hallways. If in-person speakers are unavailable, consider recording short teacher-led demonstrations aligned with ADA materials. For multilingual communities, prioritize bilingual handouts where available from ADA resources [1] .

How Dental Practices Can Activate February and Beyond

Dental practices can turn awareness into measurable community impact with a structured plan:

Plan your February calendar: Map weekly themes (brushing basics, fluoride benefits, sealants, healthy snacks) and pair them with short posts or in-office displays. Marketing calendars highlight February as a flagship opportunity for pediatric education and engagement [3] .
Leverage education assets: Provide ADA posters and coloring sheets in waiting areas and operatories, and hand out brushing calendars to families to take home [1] .
Track outcomes: Measure increases in on-time recall, sealant acceptance for eligible children, and fluoride varnish utilization. Use before/after metrics to evaluate February’s impact.
Extend into National Smile Month: Repurpose February content for a broader audience in May-June. The Oral Health Foundation’s campaign helps keep prevention messages visible across spring and early summer [2] .

Challenges and solutions:
If staffing is tight, prioritize one or two weekly themes and automate posts. If your patient base includes many non-English speakers, print bilingual resources available through ADA’s program [1] .

Accessing Services and Help: Practical Pathways

You can locate reputable dental care and community programs using several routes:

Insurance directory: Log in to your dental insurance portal and search for pediatric dentists or family dentists near your ZIP code. Filter by languages, office hours, and accessibility needs.
Local dental societies: Search for your state or county dental society for referral lists and community clinics. Use search terms like “county dental society” plus your location.
School-based referrals: Ask school nurses, counselors, or family resource centers; many maintain lists of low-cost or sliding-scale providers.
Pediatric specialty care: If your child needs behavior guidance or complex care, ask for a referral to a board-certified pediatric dentist. Some pediatric practices highlight February with outreach and appointment availability, and many encourage establishing a “dental home” early in life to support healthy development [4] .

If you cannot find links you trust:
Consider calling your health plan’s member services for an in-network list; contact your city/county health department for dental clinic information; or ask your primary care provider for a dental referral. When uncertain, prioritize official channels and direct phone contact over unverified websites.

Beyond February: Keep Momentum with Seasonal Campaigns

Staying engaged after February helps reinforce prevention. National Smile Month offers a late-spring window to revisit key behaviors for all ages-brushing twice daily with fluoride, limiting sugary snacks and drinks, and seeing a dental professional regularly [2] . Many practices also plan around year-round oral-health-themed days and weeks, using them as content prompts for newsletters, social media, and in-office education [3] .

Step-by-step approach for ongoing engagement:
Create a 12-month calendar with monthly micro-themes (e.g., brushing technique in February, sugar swaps in March, flossing skills in April). Schedule a short educational post, a quick in-office script for staff, and a printable handout each month. Track which messages drive appointment requests, preventive service acceptance, and patient questions so you can refine your approach.

Key Takeaways

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month in the U.S., supported by ADA resources for families, schools, and practices [1] .
National Smile Month runs from 12 May to 12 June 2025 , expanding prevention messages to all ages [2] .
Parents, educators, and dental teams can maximize impact with simple, repeatable routines, printable tools, and community collaboration [1] .