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Children’s Dental Health Month: Sugar Wars

The American Dental Association (ADA) designates February as National Children’s Dental Health Month. Of course, at Kool Smiles every month is kid’s dental health month.

We are dentists committed to providing kids all across the country quality dental care. Keep reading to learn about Children’s Dental Health Month and how Kool Smiles participates.

Children’s Dental Health Month Challenge

This year, the ADA is taking aim at a major reason for tooth decay—sugar. Sugar combines with bacteria in the mouth and produces acid that eats away at teeth. So this year’s slogan is “Sugar Wars” and there are free flyers in English and Spanish for younger kids.

Here are some ways to help keep kids’ teeth healthy:

  • Never put sugary drinks in bottles or sippy cups, especially at nap or bed time
  • Brush twice a day for two minutes
  • Kids should see a dentist every six months

Routine Dental Care Saves Smiles

In the same way that you maintain your car or home to prevent damage and repairs, it’s important to keep up with your dental health. The sad fact is that much of what threatens our children’s dental health is preventable:

  • Millions of people live in dental deserts with few dentists in their communities.
  • Routine preventative dental care saves money by keeping small problems from getting worse.
  • Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) provide health coverage to more than 43 million children.
  • Many dentists refuse to accept Medicaid patients.

The Kool Smiles Mission

When we formed Kool Smiles in 2002, we decided to step in and help kids and families who had little access to dentists—type in your zip code to find one near you.

  • We put our offices in areas with the most need.
  • We accept Medicaid and TRICARE at every location.
  • We prioritize teaching parents and kids how to have a healthy smile.

For Children’s Dental Health Month last year, we gave away toothbrushes and thousands of free lesson plans for teachers.

Be a Kool Smiles Family

We love treating children—you’ll see the minute you walk in the door. Most of our offices have playgrounds, and parents are always welcome to accompany their kids back for treatment.

The most important thing about Kool Smiles is our quality of care. Over 97% of our patients would recommend us to family or friends. You can read their stories on our website.

Don’t wait for Children’s Dental Health Month—make an appointment at Kool Smiles right now by calling us.

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Sources:

ADA: http://www.ada.org/~/media/ADA/Public%20Programs/Files/NCDHM/NCDHM2016_YouthPoster_8.5x11_English.ashx

PBS: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/health-science-technology/dollars-and-dentists/do-you-live-in-a-dental-desert-check-our-map/