Brushing cleans teeth — Health, 4–6 years
Teeth help us bite and chew, but food can leave a sticky layer on them. Brushing with toothpaste removes much of it and helps protect teeth from holes.
What brushing does
A toothbrush has small bristles that sweep across the teeth and move away food and sticky plaque. Toothpaste helps the cleaning and contains fluoride, which makes teeth more able to resist decay. Gentle brushing reaches the front, back and chewing surfaces.
Why brush every day?
The problem is that bacteria in plaque can use sugars from food and make acids. These acids can slowly damage the hard outside of a tooth, causing a hole called a cavity. Brushing twice a day removes plaque before it has so much time to cause trouble.
A bedtime brushing
Leo puts a small amount of toothpaste on his brush. He brushes the outside, inside and chewing surfaces of his top teeth, then does the same for the bottom teeth. He spends about two minutes, spits out the foam and rinses the brush. An adult helps him reach tricky spots.
Only the front teeth
A reasonable mistake is brushing only the teeth that show in a smile. They are easy to see, so it feels as if the job is finished. However, food and plaque can hide behind teeth and on the chewing surfaces, so those places need gentle brushing too.
Teeth at work
We use teeth to bite an apple, chew bread and help make sounds when we speak. Clean teeth can be more comfortable for these jobs. Brushing at home and visiting a dental professional help look after them, while an adult chooses suitable toothpaste.
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