This is the way to brush your 32

The five minutes you spend brushing your teeth will be more effective and easier if you know and follow the simple, right steps. And just stave off tooth decay. Tooth decay has become very rampant in Nigeria, with dentists seeing more complications of dental disorders in hospitals, according to Dr Afam Iwuchukwu, a dentist at […]

The five minutes you spend brushing your teeth will be more effective and easier if you know and follow the simple, right steps. And just stave off tooth decay.

Tooth decay has become very rampant in Nigeria, with dentists seeing more complications of dental disorders in hospitals, according to Dr Afam Iwuchukwu, a dentist at Kubwa General Hospital.

He is part of ongoing health visit on primary school age children in the FCT by the Human and Health Services Secretariat.

Take like pus in the gum. It is a very common occurrence among children and can be prevented if children are taught the proper technique of keeping the mouth clean and stick to a routine dental checkup.

Regular use of toothpaste containing fluoride should help for those strong and white teeth, but the type of brush matters.

Dentists encourages toothbrushes with medium texture (not too hard or too soft) and straight bristle. They have a recycle by date: three months, at which point you should get a new one.

“Brushing left to right which is very common but very harmful to the gum and cavity,” Iwuchukwu said.

Up-and-down strokes of the brush are considered better-all round the mouth in the morning after breakfast and in the evening after dinner.

Parents should pitch in to monitor and supervise brushing time to ensure they get healthy teeth when they grow up, according to Felicia Ikhazuagbe, head mistress of one of the schools in Kubwa where children have been having oral care talks.

“Brushing up and down instead of sideways is an additional knowledge to these young minds that will keep practising and teach their children in future,” she said.

“This will help keep their teeth healthy. However, I will call on parents to monitor and teach their children the right way to brush so that we will in turn have generations will healthy teeth.”