Protect Your Smile From Extinction During National Children's Dental Health Month

Dudley the Dinosaur and his friends are celebrating National Children's Dental Health Month (NCDHM) by digging deep and unearthing precious artifacts like toothbrushes, dental floss
and mouth guards to make sure healthy smiles do not fade away forever. Children of all ages are encouraged to join Dudley and friends in this state and countrywide effort.
Throughout February, the Pennsylvania Dental Association (PDA) and Dudley are promoting healthy, happy teeth and smiles by teaching students of all ages the importance of good oral hygiene and reminding them to brush, floss and visit their PDA member dentist every six months. Children also are learning
the benefits of protecting themselves with mouth guards when
participating in sports.
To encourage active participation in NCDHM, the PDA is sponsoring its annual statewide coloring contest open to all third-grade students across the Commonwealth. After receiving a lesson on good oral health and hygiene from their teachers through dental health lesson plan kits provided by the PDA,
students are asked to draw a picture reflecting what they learned during the lesson. The teachers then select a winner from each class whose entries are forwarded to the district level for judging, and then district winners are forwarded to the PDA Central Office where a statewide winner is chosen. Statewide, thousands of third-grade students participate in the coloring contest each year, and the statewide winner receives a $1,000 education bond.
PDA member dentists also join in NCDHM festivities by sponsoring their own local events or promotions. Look for your PDA-member dentist visiting local schools where they make dental health presentations or setting up displays in area malls where they answer dental questions, distribute literature and other
goodies.
For helpful dental health information, log on to www.padental.org.