Hello, friends! Remember Jesse? He's working on becoming more
independent. He wants to be able to do important things all on his own. Today,
he's in the bathroom, getting ready for an important task... brushing his teeth!
Not everyone likes taking care of their teeth or going to the dentist,
but it's super important. Why? Every day, something called plaque gets on your teeth.
Plaque is full of germs and other bad stuff that can hurt your teeth.
If it's not brushed off, it can make small holes in your teeth! These holes are called cavities.
Brushing helps keep cavities away because brushing gets rid of plaque.
Okay, we've got our toothbrush and toothpaste. Let's work through the
important steps of brushing your teeth. First, turn on the water
and wet your toothbrush. This helps the toothpaste create a foam,
which can spread around your teeth. Don't forget to turn the water off so we don't waste any.
Next, apply toothpaste to your toothbrush. That means put some toothpaste on the brush.
Not too much! But you don't want too little either. About the size of a pea should do it.
Then, set a timer and brush your teeth for 2 minutes. Be sure to brush each part of your teeth:
the front, back, tops, and bottoms. Sometimes people only focus on the front of their teeth,
but remember to brush every side of each tooth!
Don't rush it. Plaque can hide in tricky places, so you need to be sure to take
your time and brush all surfaces of your teeth carefully. A small, circular motion is best,
rather than back and forth. The toothbrush should be part way on the gums as well. Brush
until the 2 minutes is up. Now, don't swallow any toothpaste because here comes the final step.
Last, rinse your mouth. The last thing to do is rinse out your mouth.
It's easiest to use a cup of water. Just sip some water, swish it around a bit in your mouth,
then spit it out into the sink. Remember, it's important not to swallow any of the toothpaste.
Okay, great. Let's review the steps. Step 1: Turn on the water, and wet the brush.
Step 2: Apply toothpaste to your brush. Step 3: Set a timer and brush your teeth for 2 minutes.
Step 4: Rinse your mouth. Now, do you know how many times a day you should brush your teeth?
The answer is two! You should brush in the morning and in the evening each day.
Jesse did such a great job following the steps to brush his teeth, he has earned... his
Super Brusher Badge! Nice work, Jesse! You can earn your badge too if you practice brushing
your teeth all on your own, twice a day. Keep that smile clean, and we will see you next time!