Brushing your teeth helps keep your smile clean, strong, and healthy. Tiny bits of food and sticky germs can stay on teeth after eating. When children brush in the morning and at night, they help protect their teeth from cavities.
A clean mouth can also help breath smell fresh and make smiling feel good.
A toothbrush, a small amount of toothpaste, and gentle circles can clean the front, back, and chewing parts of teeth. Brushing for 2 minutes gives enough time to reach all areas of the mouth. Spitting out toothpaste and rinsing the brush keeps the bathroom routine neat.
With practice, brushing becomes a simple healthy habit every day.
Key Facts
- Brush 2 times each day: once in the morning and once at night.
- Brush for 2 minutes each time.
- 2 minutes x 2 times per day = 4 minutes of brushing each day.
- Use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste for young children.
- Clean the front, back, and top chewing surfaces of every tooth.
- Gentle circles help clean teeth without hurting the gums.
Vocabulary
- Toothbrush
- A toothbrush is a tool with soft bristles used to clean teeth and gums.
- Toothpaste
- Toothpaste is a paste used with a toothbrush to help clean teeth.
- Cavity
- A cavity is a small hole in a tooth caused by germs and tooth damage.
- Gums
- Gums are the soft pink parts of the mouth that hold teeth in place.
- Plaque
- Plaque is a sticky layer of germs that can build up on teeth.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Brushing too fast is a mistake because teeth need about 2 minutes to get clean on all sides.
- Using too much toothpaste is a mistake because young children only need a pea-sized amount.
- Scrubbing very hard is a mistake because it can hurt the gums and does not clean better than gentle brushing.
- Only brushing the front teeth is a mistake because the back teeth and chewing surfaces also collect food and germs.
Practice Questions
- 1 If you brush for 2 minutes in the morning and 2 minutes at night, how many total minutes do you brush in one day?
- 2 If a child brushes twice each day for 7 days, how many brushing times happen in one week?
- 3 A child brushes only the teeth they can see in the mirror. Explain why they should also brush the back teeth and chewing surfaces.