It’s no coincidence that on November 1st, the day after Halloween, which is historically the single most important day of candy consumption in the United States, National Brush Day is observed annually.

A global program initiated by the Alliance for Safe Mouths, Safe Lives, and the Ad Council in 2012, Global Brush Day is part of the Kids ‘Healthy Mouths campaign.

The goal of National Brush Day is to remind families that everyone should brush their teeth twice a day, every day, for two minutes with fluoride toothpaste. With hashtags like # NatBrushDay, dentists will join the movement by providing updates on their social media.

By brushing your teeth extra thoroughly for the entire month of November and all year long, you may celebrate National Brush Day.

In dental treatment, proper cleaning is not the only thing involved. You should also schedule your children for regular dental cleanings (at least twice a year) and teach them to floss at least once a day.

Flossing helps get rid of bacteria in places a regular brushing can’t touch, like between the teeth. You can first floss your child’s teeth when they are young, as with brushing, and then pass the job to them once they get a little older.

Why Proper Brushing is Important

Brushing regularly can seem like common sense, but children are not born knowing how to brush their developing chompers, and if their parents are not watching them closely, it is easy to get out of the habit.

The effect of excessive brushing is often very sudden and severe: The U.S. Disease Control Centers says that tooth decay is at “epidemic” levels in children with 42 percent of children aged 2 to 11 have encountered at least one cavity in their baby teeth and another 21 percent of children aged 6 to 11 experiencing permanent cavities in their teeth. Parents often struggle if their children have poor brushing habits because they need to take time off work for dental appointments and spend extra money to fill the cavities.

Ways to Celebrate National Brush Day

On Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, snap & post “brushing selfies,” use the hashtag # NationalBrushDay & tag us!

Make it a family affair, download this checklist, and time yourself to watch your kids while brushing your teeth together using these 2-minute videos.

Choose a tune for 2 minutes & brush your teeth to music

Why We Love National Brush Day

Brushing is fun

 To keep our teeth safe, it is necessary to brush for a full two minutes. To make brushing more fun and less boring, there are a lot of ways. To help entertain your children when they are brushing, you can use a funny video or teeth brushing dance!

Brushing is a family event that is

Brushing is a tradition the family will do every day together. Show your children why brushing is vital and do it as a team. Bonus points for joint flossing, too!

With your toothbrush, you can get creative

Three main types of toothbrushes are available: manual, electrical, and sonic. There are, however, seemingly infinite choices in color, scale, and features within these categories! For example, on the back of the brush head, some toothbrushes have a gum cleaner, while others also feature your kid’s favorite cartoon. Next time they pick out a toothbrush, help your child get creative.

Brushing is a family event

 Brushing is a tradition that your family can do together every day. Show your kids why brushing is important and do it as a team. Bonus points for flossing together too!

National brush day activities

Take out a song for brushing

Ask your child to pick and turn up their favorite song. Dance along and build a party for brushing on National Brush Day.

Brush up on your brushing system

Get back to the basics and verify the right brushing method with your baby. Remind them to gently brush their gum line, and brush it all the way to the back of the mouth. Finally, make sure that they know for a full two minutes to brush!

Make a contest for family brushing

To track how well everyone is brushing, create a chart for your family. Give your child a log every day of how long they’ve brushed their teeth. Then come up with a reward that does the most for the family member,