Dental Health Week is an annual campaign started by the Australian Dental Association (ADA) and takes place in the first full week of August.
 
Dental Health Week (DHW) is the Australian Dental Association’s (ADA) major annual oral health campaign. It takes place each year in the first full week of August. The campaign focuses on the importance of taking steps to care for your teeth and gums to help you keep your teeth and smile for life.
This pack includes:
Learning story pages (V2.0 updated)
Free Banner for your bathroom with a poem for children , how to brush teeth and Links to NQF.
 
Download your FREE Dental Health Week Learning story pack to document children's learning here.
 
 
Below are a list of some play based activities to set up in your service over Dental Health Week!
Toothbrushing Practice: Set up a pretend dental care station with child-sized toothbrushes, toothpaste, and a mirror. Children can take turns brushing the teeth of stuffed animals or dolls to learn proper brushing techniques through imaginative play.
Healthy Food Sorting: Provide pictures or cutouts of different foods, some healthy and some not-so-healthy for teeth. Encourage children to sort and classify the foods into groups that are "good for teeth" and "not good for teeth," fostering discussions about nutrition.
Dental Play Dough Creations: Create play dough in different tooth shapes and provide small beads or beans to represent "food." Children can "feed" the teeth while discussing how different foods can impact oral health.
Pretend Dentist Office: Set up a dramatic play area as a dentist's office. Children can take turns being the dentist, hygienist, and patient, using props like dental chairs, masks, and gloves to role-play dental check-ups.
Storytime: Read age-appropriate books about dental health and hygiene. Afterward, engage in discussions about the importance of brushing, flossing, and visiting the dentist.
Fruit and Veggie Art: Provide various fruits and vegetables along with paint. Children can dip the produce in paint and create artwork on paper, reinforcing the connection between healthy foods and strong teeth.
Sensory Exploration: Fill a sensory bin with rice, and bury small toothbrushes and dental-related toys. Children can dig for the items while discussing dental care routines.
Tooth Fairy Writing: Encourage children to draw pictures or write notes to the tooth fairy. This activity can spark conversations about losing baby teeth and oral health practices.
Interactive Songs and Rhymes: Teach fun songs or rhymes related to dental health, incorporating movements that mimic brushing or flossing actions.
Dental Health Crafts: Engage in crafts like creating tooth collages using cotton balls as teeth, or making toothbrush puppets out of craft sticks and felt.
Flossing Practice: Use string or yarn as a prop to demonstrate flossing between "paper teeth" made from folded construction paper. This tactile activity introduces the concept of flossing in a playful way.
Sink or Float Experiment: Gather various items, some that are good for teeth (like fruits) and some that aren't (like sugary candies). Predict and test whether each item sinks or floats in water, leading to discussions about their effects on teeth.