Placeholder Image

Subtitles section Play video

  • Yeah!... Time to brush! Why do we brush?

  • We brush to remove plaque and stay clean. What's plaque?

  • Plaque is yucky stuff that can stick to teeth. Plaque is bad because it's full of nasty

  • germs. These germs can hurt teeth by making little holes called cavities. Plaque and cavities

  • make teeth weaker. That's why it's super important to brush all the plaque off every

  • day. To keep healthy teeth we have to brush for 2 minutes every morning and 2 minutes

  • every night before bed! It's really important to brush your teeth the RIGHT WAY! First make

  • sure to use a special kid's toothbrush when you brush. Kid's brushes fit little mouths

  • and have soft bristles. Put a little dot (about the size of a pea) of fluoride toothpaste

  • on your brush. Moms have to help babies brush their teeth and babies can't use fluoride

  • toothpaste. You have to be able to spit to use fluoride! Once you have the toothpaste

  • on your toothbrush...open your mouth wide! Start with the teeth in the back of your mouth

  • and brush in little circles. Work your way to the teeth in the front of your mouth and

  • don't forget to brush the gums! Move the brush back and forth gently in short strokes.

  • Brush the top, front, and back sides of each tooth. Make sure you get the inside of all

  • the teeth. When you're done be sure to spit out all the toothpaste. Don't swallow the

  • toothpaste...it will upset your tummy. When you're done brushing it's time to floss.

  • Flossing can help remove food and plaque from in between teeth and along the gum line. Parents

  • should start flossing their children's teeth as soon as they have two teeth that touch

  • and they should floss twice a week. When you floss, break off about 18 inches of floss.

  • Wind the floss around your pointer finger. Hold the floss tightly between your thumbs

  • and fingers. Guide the floss between your teeth using a gentle rubbing motion. Never

  • snap the floss into your gums. When the floss reaches the gum line, curve it into a C shape

  • against one tooth. Hold the floss tightly against the tooth. Gently rub the side of

  • the tooth, moving the floss away from the gum with an upward motion. By the time you're

  • 7 or so, you should be flossing every night at bedtime with your mom and dad's supervision.

  • One other way we can help keep teeth clean and healthy is by eating and drinking healthy

  • foods. Eating healthy foods for breakfast, lunch and dinner is the best way to keep your

  • teeth and whole body in good shape. If you're hungry and want a snack, try foods like fruit,

  • raw veggies and low-fat cheese. Stay away from sugary soda and sweets. If you're thirsty

  • drink water or low-fat milk. If you brush, floss and eat right you'll have a beautiful

  • smile for your entire life! Find a My Kid's Dentist location or request an appointment

  • today by logging in at www.mykidsdentistonline.com.

Yeah!... Time to brush! Why do we brush?

Subtitles and vocabulary

Click the word to look it up Click the word to find further inforamtion about it