Children's Dental Health Month lunch...

Good Thursday to you, Friends!! I have a super cute lunch to share today. My original plan was to make this lunch much earlier this month than now, but life sort of got in the way....better late than never, right?

February is National Children's Dental Health Month. Each February, the American Dental Association (ADA) sponsors NCDHM to raise awareness about the importance of oral health.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Tooth decay is the number one chronic illness in children.
• 51 million school hours are lost each year to dental problems.
• Research shows that if a child’s tooth decay goes untreated, it can lead to tooth loss, speech problems and even loss of self-esteem.

Developing good habits at an early age and scheduling regular dental visits helps children get a good start on a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums.

Both of my kids have been seeing their dentist since they were 2 years old. They are pretty comfortable with her, and usually don't give me much fuss when they have a dental visit (as opposed to a visit to the pediatrician). Hmmmm....maybe that has something to do with that treasure box they get to rifle through after their visit. 

So, to support NCDHM, I made a happy tooth lunch. The little green tooth in the lunch is actually a keepsake holder that the dentist gave Z on his last visit to store the teeth that he has lost. But, Z has yet to lose any teeth, so I repurposed it as a mini M&M holder. (He actually has 2 of these so I didn't feel very bad using it.) Myra over at Mommy and Me Lunchbox also made a super cute lunch to support NCDHM, also.You can see Myra's fun lunch HERE.

Kim over at Stuffed Suitcase also has an awesome Dental Month post.... 6 Tips to Help Kids Keep Healthy Teeth. Stop by and visit Kim's blog and shower her with lots of  comment love.

This lunch is packed in Easy Lunch Boxes.
*Natural Selects ham and Swiss cheese sandwich with Swiss cheese tooth on top. I used sprinkles and gel icing for the face.
*pretzels
*sweet corn with homemade 'I love my smile' pick
*red seedless grapes
*mini M&M's in the little green tooth container
*linked to: Eats Amazing/ Fun Food Friday
                  Sun Scholars/ For the kids Friday

Some of the things, or similar things, that I used to make this lunch: