All About the Tooth Fairy on National Tooth Fairy Day!
February 28, 2019
The tooth fairy does a lot for children all over the world. She gathers up baby teeth and leaves a special treat or surprise for them. To show her how much we appreciate all the hard work she does, people have decided to create a holiday just for the tooth fairy. That holiday is known as National Tooth Fairy Day.
Here is a Little Secret! There are Two National Tooth Fairy Days
We are going to let you in on a little secret. The tooth fairy is so beloved by children – and adults – all over the world that she has not just one special holiday, but she has two!
National Tooth Fairy Day is celebrated on February 28 and August 22. That gives you two chances to celebrate this lovely fairy who goes around collecting teeth and leaving treats or money for children!
Who is the Tooth Fairy?
The tooth fairy is a mythical creature who is believed to help children celebrate the loss of their baby teeth. When a baby tooth is lost, a child will take the tooth and carefully hide it under their pillow. While they are sleeping, the tooth fairy will come in the night, take the tooth, and leave a present which can be candy, toys, or even money.
How is National Tooth Fairy Day Celebrated?
There really is no right or wrong way to celebrate National Tooth Fairy Day. It really all depends on your children and what they like to do.
Some ways to celebrate National Tooth Fairy Day include:
- Teaching children the story of the tooth fairy and talking to them about what she does
- Asking children to draw a picture of what they think the tooth fairy looks like
- Talking to children about what they would like to get from the tooth fairy when they lose their teeth
- Making a tiny tooth fairy pillow that will hold their lost tooth safely
- Watching a movie that features the tooth fairy – Rise of the Guardians and Tooth Fairy are two of our favorite family-friendly movies about the tooth fairy
Talk to Children about How to Properly Care for Their Teeth
National Tooth Fairy Day gives you a great opportunity to talk to your child about how to properly care for their teeth. In fact if you want to get really creative you can make the oral health care tips you provide tooth fairy themed!
Some things you will want to focus on when teaching children how to properly care for their teeth include:
- Brushing at least twice a day – it would be ideal if children were encouraged to brush their teeth after every meal, but they should be told they need to brush their teeth twice a day
- Flossing at least once a day – focus on teaching children the proper flossing technique so that teeth and gums are cleaned without being damaged or harmed
- Teaching proper tooth brushing techniques
- Talking about the importance of using the right amount of toothpaste and choosing the right toothbrush
- Talking about the importance of eating plenty of fruits and vegetables
- Talking about how to reduce or eliminate the amount of sugar, candy, sodas, and sugary beverages that are consumed
- Discussing the importance of visiting the dentist regularly for annual checkups and professional cleanings
Schedule an Appointment for Your Child with a Pediatric Dentist
National Tooth Fairy Day serves as a great reminder to make sure you have schedule an appointment for your child to see a pediatric dentist. Looking for a pediatric dentist? If so, call Dr. Maggie Davis.
Dr. Maggie Davis is an experienced pediatric dentist who provides a wide variety of dental services to children of all ages. Dental services Dr. Maggie Davis currently provides include routine checkups and professional cleanings, emergency dental appointments, fillings, root canals, tooth extractions, teeth whitening, and orthodontics. Call her office today to schedule an appointment for your child. We look forward to welcoming you and your child to our dental family!
Celebrating Children’s Dental Health Month
February 1, 2018
Celebrate Children’s Dental Health Month with us in February and schedule an appointment with Dr. Maggie to learn how to keep your child’s oral hygiene routine fun and healthy. The importance of good oral hygiene cannot be stated enough, especially when it comes to teaching children how to properly care for their teeth at every age. To help your child practice good oral hygiene, you can make brushing and flossing fun by involving the whole family and using toothbrushes that play music.
Start Good Oral Care Early
When you teach your child to properly care your their teeth by regularly brushing and flossing, you are helping them prevent cavities and gum disease. Children’s Dental Health Month was developed in order to emphasize the importance of oral care even if your child still has his or her baby teeth.
To help your children remember to brush and floss print out this Tooth Brushing Chart! Just add stickers!
While baby teeth are temporary and replaced by adult teeth, they serve a vital purpose in the mouth. They help your child eat and speak properly, and they guide the adult teeth into their proper positions. By teaching your child to care for his or her baby teeth by learning how to properly brush, floss and use mouthwash, you are helping develop good habits for when their adult teeth emerge.
Understanding Good Oral Hygiene for Children
During Children’s Dental Health Month, it is important to review your child’s oral hygiene habits and adjust according to your child’s age. If you have a new infant, it is important to clean his or her mouth and gums with a damp, soft washcloth. This will remove excess formula or milk from the gums and help prevent excess bacteria from forming in the mouth. When your child’s first few teeth appear, wiping your infant’s gums helps prevent baby bottle tooth decay, which can happen if excess formula is left in the mouth, especially at night.
Once several of your child’s teeth have emerged, it’s time to start using a soft bristled brush designed for infants and/or toddlers. There is still no need to use toothpaste at this point, but you can choose an oral censer that is designed for infants and toddlers instead of plain water if you wish. This is also the time when you should schedule your child’s first dental appointment.
When your child reaches two years of age, they are ready for children’s toothpaste and to start learning how to brush their own teeth. You can make this process more fun by creating a game around practicing good oral hygiene and/or by choosing fun toothbrushes that play music.
From the ages of two to seven, you will need to closely supervise your child’s oral hygiene habits until they have the hand dexterity and skill to reach every part of their teeth and gums. This may mean helping your child brush and floss his or her teeth after they have already brushed their teeth on their own. After the age of seven, your child should have the knowledge and skill to brush and floss his or her teeth at least twice a day.
How You Can Celebrate Children’s Dental Health Month with Us
You can help us celebrate Children’s Dental Health month by ensuring that your child receives regular dental checkups at our pediatric dental office in Palm Harbor and by reminding your friends and family with children to schedule appointments for their own children. Every child from the time they receive their first tooth until they turn 18 years years of age should receive at least one dental checkup and dental cleaning twice each year. These checkups remove all the plaque and tartar from your child’s teeth and look for problems with the development of the teeth, gums, and jaw so that they can be corrected before they interfere with your child’s speech and language development as well as his or her ability to chew. During your child’s appointment, we can also answer common dental care questions as well as any questions your older child may have about proper oral hygiene.
To schedule your child’s dental checkup in Palm Harbor with our pediatric dentist, call us at 727-786-7551.
Check out this Print-Friendly Tooth Brushing Chart to help your child celebrate Children’s Dental Health Month right!