ADA resources for National Children’s Dental Health Month 2026

Posters, coloring sheets and more highlight the everyday importance of good oral health

Each February, National Children’s Dental Health Month (NCDHM) brings thousands of dedicated professionals, healthcare providers, and educators together to promote the benefits of good oral health to children, their caregivers, teachers and others.

Extending the 2025 theme, NCDHM resources celebrate and promote the importance of children’s dental health, not only during the month of February, but all year long.

Resources, including posters and flyers emphasizing the importance of brushing, are available for free download from the ADA. Available in two kid-friendly, topical designs and two sizes — 8.5"x11" and 11"x17" — the posters’ message is also found on matching 8.5"x11" coloring sheets. All materials have instructions for proper brushing and are available in English and Spanish from ADA.org/NCDHM.

The ADA’s 2026 Brushing Calendar is available for free download as well. This 12-month calendar is a valuable year-round aid for promoting healthy behaviors such as brushing twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste to help prevent dental disease. Kids can track their daily brushing and flossing and exercise their creativity by coloring the calendar image for each month.

Another tool, the NCDHM Program Planning Guide, provides resources to help program coordinators, dental societies, teachers and parents promote the benefits of good oral health to children. The guide includes easy-to-do activities, program planning tips, a sample NCDHM proclamation and more.

“Healthy habits grow with children. At home, caregivers should teach kids to brush twice daily with a fluoride toothpaste — a rice grain-sized amount once the first tooth appears until the age of three, then a pea-sized amount at age three and beyond — and help them clean between their teeth once a day,” said ADA President Rich Rosato, D.M.D. “Whether at home or on the go, eating a balanced diet low in added sugars is also critical, along with visiting the dentist regularly. These are the most important building blocks for optimal oral health and deeply connect to overall health.”

The ADA releases NCDHM materials on a two-year cycle with additional resources planned for 2027.

National Children’s Dental Health Month observances began in February 1941 with a one-day event in Cleveland and a one-week celebration in Akron, Ohio. The observance grew over the years and evolved into a nationwide program.

The ADA held the first national observance of Children’s Dental Health Day on Feb. 8, 1949. The one-day event became a weeklong event in 1955, and in 1981 the program was extended to become the monthlong celebration known today as National Children’s Dental Health Month.

For questions about NCDHM resources, please ncdhm@ada.org. For oral health resources, visit MouthHealthy.org.