10,800 kids bid for toothbrushing record

Nearly 11,000 school children brushed their teeth in Manila’s Rizal Park yesterday in an attempt to break a world record for a simultaneous brush-off and to try and reverse the prevalence of tooth decay among Filipinos, organizers said.

About 10,800 students from eight Metro Manila grade schools, guided by 187 dentists, used soft-bristle tooth brushes for nearly three minutes in Rizal Park then playfully tossed into the air red caps given by organizers.

The mass brush-off, sponsored by a toothpaste company and the Department of Education and the Philippine Dental Association, was an attempt to break the Guinness World record set by 10,240 Chinese students who simultaneously brushed their teeth along a road in Shenzhen City, China on Sept. 20, 2003, organizers said.

"We also want to make oral cavity prevention relevant to the general public," said dentist Angel David II, who helped organize the event.

Organizers said they will officially inform Guinness representatives of the Manila event.

Tooth decay and poor oral hygiene are prevalent among many young and adult Filipinos either because of poverty or a lack of awareness of healthy practices, David said. — AP