The Right Time To Teach Children To Brush Their Teeth, May Be More Than Twice A Day

Brushing Gigi (Pixabay)

JAKARTA - Introducing children to brush their teeth from an early age is important in order to shape the habit of brushing teeth, including before bed. When the child has grown teeth, the parents or adults around him must introduce brushing teeth.

Chairman of the Indonesian Dental Association, drg. Usman Sumantri, MSc., shared the right time to introduce children to brush their teeth, namely since they can be invited to play and when their teeth grow.

"If I introduce the toothbrush, it's when the child can play. Now there are toys, doctors already have their brushes. It's already introduced brushing teeth," said Usman, quoted from ANTARA, Sealsa, September 12.

Brushing your teeth before bed is important to teach in order to avoid plaque falling behind your teeth.

"Because the eight hours have formed a plaque, especially if you eat the types of candy, the easy-to-stick food must really be eliminated so you don't fall behind," said Usman.

The bad impact of being lazy to brush your teeth, such as cavities can actually be life-threatening.

"People who die from cavities, are not treated in manure, can be left in the heart, kidneys. So it causes death, indirect to death, does not cause direct death," he said while suggesting people have their teeth checked at the doctor at least once every six months.

Regarding cavities, the Head of the Association of Indonesian Faculty of Dental Medicine, Prof. drg. Suryono, SH, MM, Ph.D., said the impact on other organs of the body such as the heart and others.

"When the condition of the body is experiencing fatigue or decreased immunity, it (the trap that comes from cavities) will spread following the blood vessels, it can go to the heart, kidneys," he said.

The study said that when a person's oral hygiene condition is poor, it will spur inflammatory substances to cause an increase in blood sugar levels. However, when blood sugar levels can be controlled, the health of the teeth and mouth that was previously shaky can be good again.

In addition, it is still based on studies, there is a connection between systemic diseases such as diabetes mellitus and the health condition of the teeth and mouth. Those with high sugar levels usually have the characteristics of one of them being periodontitis, namely gum infections that damage teeth, soft tissues and dental support bones.

In addition, the smell of people's breath with high sugar levels is like a quartic cleaning fluid.

Therefore, Suryono supports the movement to brush his teeth more than twice a day for including brushing his teeth after lunch. He carries a brush in his pocket every time he travels.

"Every time I travel, I always carry a brush in my pocket. This is indeed a habit that people have to do. Japanese people after lunch brush their teeth. At our place, education is twice a day," he said.

He referred to a study he had conducted at one of the Islamic boarding schools regarding the habit of brushing teeth to find that the gum inflammation index fell on those who routinely brush their teeth before ablution or prayer (five times a day) compared to participants who brush their teeth twice a day, after breakfast and before bed.