Brush your teeth.

CEBU, Philippines - “Brush, brush, brush your teeth, morning, noon and night. Up and down, left to right, till they’re clean and bright!”

There are two sets of teeth — temporary and the permanent.

The teeth that you kids get starting at the age of 2 are called temporary teeth or baby teeth. Temporary teeth reach up to 10 in the upper jaw, and another set of 10 in the lower jaw.

The first permanent teeth that a child gets usually appear at the age of six or what we call the “six-year molars.”

It is very important that we take good care of our teeth because if we don’t, we may develop tooth decay and lose our precious pearls. Would you want your teeth to be replaced by false teeth?

To keep teeth healthy, you kids should eat a balanced diet and stay away from too much sweets. Proper diet means healthy servings of body building-foods like milk, eggs, chicken and fish. These foods are rich in protein, Vitamin B and minerals like iron. They are needed in repairing body tissues and make the teeth and bones strong.

You should also eat body-regulating foods make the body grow. They are rich in vitamins and minerals. Vitamin C helps maintain healthy gums. Food items that belong in this group are squash, guava, pechay and okra.

Brushing your teeth properly after eating and before going to bed is also a must if you want to keep your teeth healthy. When brushing, you must make sure to use toothpaste that has fluoride because this makes teeth strong against decay.

To properly brush your teeth, follow the simple instructions below:

•           Brush outer surfaces of upper teeth beginning from the gums downward.

•           Brush outer surfaces of lower teeth beginning from the gums upward.

•           Brush inner surfaces of upper teeth beginning from the gums downward.

•           Brush inner surfaces of lower teeth beginning from the gums upward.

•           Brush chewing surfaces of upper teeth to and fro.

•           Brush chewing surfaces of lower teeth to and fro.

•           Brush the tongue.

•           After brushing, use dental floss or a clean thread to remove particles between the teeth.

A very important thing to remember to keep your teeth healthy is to make sure to visit your dentist because he or she can help you take good care of your teeth.