Dental awareness months are scattered across three countries' sponsors, and most lists online blend them without saying which is which. This calendar separates the US observances (from the ADA, the American Dental Hygienists' Association and the American Association of Orthodontists) from Canada's Oral Health Month and the UK's National Smile Month, with each date checked at the sponsor on October 22, 2026. Each observance comes with campaign ideas tied to services a dental office books: children's exams, sealants, cleanings and orthodontic consults.
The dental observances worth planning around
Three US observances matter for most practices, plus one in Canada. The UK campaign appears in search results often enough to need a note.
| Observance | When | Sponsor | Country | Services to feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Children's Dental Health Month | February | American Dental Association (opens in a new tab) | US | Children's exams, sealants, fluoride |
| National Oral Health Month | April | Canadian Dental Association (opens in a new tab) | Canada | Check-ups, oral cancer screening |
| National Smile Month | 11 May to 11 June in 2026 | Oral Health Foundation (opens in a new tab) | UK | Not a US or Canadian observance |
| National Dental Hygiene Month | October | American Dental Hygienists' Association (opens in a new tab) | US | Cleanings, periodontal care |
| National Orthodontic Health Month | October | American Association of Orthodontists (opens in a new tab) | US | Orthodontic consults, early check-ups |
Dates change — verify each year. Each sponsor describes its observance as annual, but themes, materials and week-by-week dates change from year to year.
Here's what people search for (Google Ads Keyword Planner data via DataForSEO, US and Canada, 12-month average to Sep 2026):
| Search | US searches/mo |
|---|---|
| dental hygiene month | 880 |
| national childrens dental health month | 480 |
| national dental hygiene month | 480 |
| dental awareness months | 260 |
| oral health month | 170 (Canada 70) |
These are informational searches, the kind people make when looking for materials or dates. The observance gives you a topic; your ads should still target what patients type when they want an appointment. Observances for other specialties live in the health awareness calendar.
February: National Children's Dental Health Month
"Each February, the American Dental Association (ADA) sponsors National Children's Dental Health Month," the ADA's page says. It began as a one-day event in Cleveland on February 3, 1941, became a national observance in 1949, a week in 1955 and a full month in 1981.
The ADA gives away the materials, which saves a practice design time:
- 11"x17" posters and 8.5"x11" flyers in two designs, English and Spanish
- Coloring sheets in two designs, English and Spanish
- A 12-month brushing calendar and a program planning guide
The ADA says its 2026 materials continue the 2025 designs, with new designs planned for 2027. Check the page in December before you print.
February suits services parents can book for school-age children. Sealants are the clearest example: the ADA's MouthHealthy site says sealants reduce the risk of decay in molars by nearly 80% (opens in a new tab), and dentists typically consider them for first molars around age 6 and second molars around age 12. For younger families, MedlinePlus advises starting a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste at age two (opens in a new tab), or sooner if a dentist or doctor suggests it.
October: National Dental Hygiene Month
ADHA describes National Dental Hygiene Month as its "annual celebration of the dental hygiene profession," held every October. The 2026 theme, "The Power of Us," ran four weekly topics: prevention (October 5–11), careers, advocacy, and patients (October 26–31).
That focus matters for planning. ADHA's materials are aimed at hygienists (continuing education, career resources, advocacy), not at patients. A practice gets more from the month by doing two things itself:
- Introduce your hygienists. A short profile of each hygienist, with their credentials and what they enjoy about the work, gives patients a face to book with.
- Explain the visit. "What happens at a dental cleaning" and "why your hygienist measures your gums" are patient questions that fit the prevention week.
"Dental hygiene month" is the most-searched term on this page at 880 a month, so an October article has a real audience among students and professionals as well as patients.
National Orthodontic Health Month
The AAO's National Orthodontic Health Month is "celebrated each year in October," and its materials are "developed and overseen by the AAO Council on Communications." Members can log in for a press release for local media, a community flier and social posts to share on practice pages.
The most useful patient message comes from the AAO itself: children should have a first orthodontic check-up "when an orthodontic problem is first recognized and no later than age 7 (opens in a new tab)," and parents don't need a dentist's referral. That gives an October campaign a clear audience (parents of six- and seven-year-olds) and a clear call to action (book a check-up).
General dentists who refer to orthodontists can run the same message in their own newsletter or lobby. Orthodontic practices will find channel and budget detail in our orthodontic marketing guide.
Oral Health Month in Canada and campaigns outside the US
Canada marks National Oral Health Month in April. In its April 1, 2026 release, the Canadian Dental Association set the theme "Healthy Smiles, Informed Choices—Oral Health, Every Day," and its key messages ran from daily brushing and flossing to the CDA Seal on products, professional check-ups and oral cancer. The release links HPV to oral cancer risk and urges Canadians to talk with their dentist about oral cancer, HPV and vaccination.
For a Canadian clinic, that gives April three ready-made topics: check-ups for early detection, how to choose CDA Seal products, and an oral cancer screening explainer. Canadian clinics should use "clinic" and Canadian spellings in their copy and follow their provincial regulator's advertising rules.
National Smile Month is a UK campaign. The Oral Health Foundation, a charity registered in England and Wales, ran it from 11 May to 11 June 2026. A US or Canadian practice can borrow the name, but it isn't a local observance and few local patients will recognize it. February and October are better bets.
Campaign ideas by observance: articles, posts and ads
One article, a few posts and one ad set per observance is enough for most offices. Every health statement in them should cite the ADA or MedlinePlus.
| Observance | Article idea | Social post | Ad angle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Children's Dental Health Month | "Sealants: what they are and when kids get them" (cite MouthHealthy) | Photo of the ADA poster in your lobby, with your booking link | Children's exam availability on search ads for "pediatric dentist near me" |
| Dental Hygiene Month | "What happens at a dental cleaning" | Meet-the-hygienist profile, with the team member's consent | Cleaning and exam availability for new patients |
| Orthodontic Health Month | "Why the AAO says age 7 for a first orthodontic check-up" | A short video answering one parent question | Consult availability, aimed at parents in your area |
| Oral Health Month (Canada) | "What a dentist looks for in an oral cancer screening" | The CDA theme, with your clinic's hours | Check-up availability |
Illustrative example (fictional practice): "Healthy smiles start early. Northgate Family Dental has after-school exam times this February for kids of all ages. Book online or call us." The ad names a service and a time, not a condition the reader has.
Medfy doesn't post to social media, so your team posts. Medfy does draft researched articles every week from MedlinePlus and PubMed, which you approve before they publish, so an observance can become a scheduled article without anyone on staff writing it. The Meta ads + AI creatives add-on ($199/month) builds static ads from your own website, with copy written for healthcare ad policies. More channel detail is in our dental marketing guide.
If you share a building or referral network with other specialties, May is the busy month for them: eye care practices run Healthy Vision Month ideas, and audiologists and speech therapists run Better Hearing and Speech Month. A shared lobby display can carry all three.
Promotions and offers: what dental boards and the ADA say
An awareness month invites a discount. Before you advertise one, check four things.
- The ADA Code. Section 5.F of the ADA Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct (opens in a new tab) says no dentist shall advertise "in a manner that is false or misleading in any material respect," and advisory opinion 5.F.2 includes statements likely to create "an unjustified expectation about results." Advisory opinion 5.B.1 says accepting an insurer's payment as payment in full, without telling the insurer the patient's share won't be collected, is overbilling.
- Bylined articles. ADA advisory opinion 5.F.1 says a dental health article published under a dentist's byline without "truthful disclosure of the source and authorship" is misleading. If a vendor or software drafts your observance articles, credit them accurately.
- "Free" offers. The FTC's guide on the word "free" (opens in a new tab) says conditions should be stated "clearly and conspicuously at the outset" (an asterisked footnote doesn't count) and suggests no more than three such offers in the same area in any 12-month period.
- Your state board and your contracts. State dental boards set their own advertising rules, and participating-provider agreements can limit discounts for insured patients. If you see Medicaid patients, the HHS Office of Inspector General notes that the beneficiary inducement statute (opens in a new tab) penalizes offering remuneration to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries to influence them to use a practice's services.
Our guide to dental new patient specials works through offer structures, state examples and redemption tracking. Not sure where your current site and listings stand before February? A free marketing audit scores six areas and lists the top five fixes.
This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm how it applies to your practice with a qualified advisor.
Frequently asked questions
When is National Children's Dental Health Month?
Every February. The American Dental Association sponsors it and publishes free posters, flyers and coloring sheets in English and Spanish, plus a program planning guide. The ADA says its 2026 materials continue the 2025 designs, with new designs planned for 2027. The observance began as a one-day event in Cleveland in 1941 and became a full month in 1981. Check ada.org for the year's materials.
When is National Dental Hygiene Month?
Every October. The American Dental Hygienists' Association runs it as a celebration of the dental hygiene profession; the 2026 theme was "The Power of Us," with weekly topics on prevention, careers, advocacy and patients. Because ADHA's materials speak mostly to hygienists, practices usually turn the month into patient-facing cleaning and gum health content and introduce their own hygiene team.
What are good dental awareness month campaign ideas?
Tie each observance to one bookable service. In February, promote children's exams and sealants with the ADA's free posters. In October, introduce your hygienists and publish an article on what happens at a cleaning. Orthodontic offices can use October to explain the AAO's advice on a first check-up by age 7. Cite the ADA or MedlinePlus for every health statement.
Can a dental office run a promotion for an awareness month?
Often, but check before you advertise. The ADA Code bars false or misleading advertising and treats undisclosed copay waivers as overbilling. The FTC's guide on "free" offers wants every condition stated clearly at the outset. Your plan contracts, your state dental board's advertising rules and federal inducement rules for Medicaid patients may add limits. Have your compliance lead review the exact offer first.