Brush, brush, brush your teeth...and stay healthy!

If you think that brushing one's teeth is simply for beauty and fresh breath, here's one more piece of info you'll surely appreciate. It will actually keep you more healthy!

Why is it that when we wake in the morning, our breath is so eeeewy??? That's because our mouths were closed all night, allowing bacteria to accumulate and multiply. Because these bacteria are able to feed on some food sediments left, their waste products which are sulfur-based, emit a pungent smell.

Can you imagine if you start your day by taking breakfast immediately and drinking water or coffee? All that bacteria that multiplied overnight go right back into your system. Very unhealthy! Get rid of all that bacteria by brushing upon waking up.

Just recently tried Pepsodent toothpaste.
The blue paste has Perlite, a whitening ingredient.
The white paste has fluoride and calcium for stronger, healthier teeth.

In the U.S., medical organizations recommend brushing teeth at least twice a day. The first one should be done right upon waking up. Your school kids need to brush their teeth even before they go for breakfast and definitely before going to school!

In one of its articles on Oral Health, the world-famous Mayo Clinic's top tip is to "brush your teeth at least twice a day".  WebMD, a leading online medical reference site, also recommends brushing at least twice a day, saying that thrice is best. In fact, it goes further to say that what is considered adequate brushing is 2 minutes at least, 3 minutes at best. A tip to get this done right: In your mind, divide your tongue into 4 quadrants and brush each quadrant for 30 seconds to get that precious 2 minutes in. How can you tell how long is 2 minutes? Sing a song in your head that is around that length of time.

If you are parents of toddlers and small kids, brushing time can indeed be a challenge. If you're wondering just how to keep your kids preoccupied long enough so that they indeed get that good 2 minutes of brushing time in, here are a few tips I can think of to make brushing time hassle-free for your small kids:

1. Let it become an adventure, not a chore - Take your kid away from something they love just to brush, expect a lot of whining and crying. But if brushing time is part of an imaginary adventure, then the fun continues, right? You can weave a magical story with brushing as one of the scenes in the story. If they have a rubberized toy or doll, that toy can be given its own toothbrush and you can help your kid brush while he/she brushes the teeth of his/her toy. Here's an idea from Pepsodent. Let them sing along to the song "Brushing Can Be Fun"!



2. Keep them preoccupied with Pepsodent's downloadable Funloadables that include a Brushing Calendar and a Pepsochallenge Word Search. To download, visit Pepsodent's Facebook Page.

They say it takes 28 days for something to become a habit. If we can use as many useful tools (such as the Pepsodent Brushing Calendar) to help our kids make frequent brushing a habit, not only will we make less trips to the dentist but we will actually be keeping them healthier.

And oh, by the way, that goes for us adults too! :-)

Find Pepsodent here:
Facebook Page: facebook.com/PepsodentPhilippines
Website: Pepsodent in Unilever website