Where There Is No Dentist 2012 69
2. Clean Your Teeth
Cleaning teeth requires time and care. If you hurry, you will leave food
and germs behind, and they continue to make cavities and sore gums.
You may find that different dental workers recommend different ways
of brushing teeth. Some ways are definitely better, but often they are
harder to learn.
Teach a method of cleaning that a person can learn and will do at home.
Let him start by scrubbing his teeth (and his children’s teeth) back and
forth, or round and round. Encourage him to improve his method only
when you think he is ready.
Toothpaste is not necessary. Some people use charcoal or salt
instead. But it is the brush hairs that do the cleaning, so water on the
brush is enough.
Scrub the outside, inside, and top of each tooth carefully.
When you finish, feel the tooth with your tongue to make sure it is
smooth and clean.
Finally, push the hairs of the brush
between the teeth and sweep away
any bits of food caught there. Do
this for both upper and lower teeth.
Sweep away in the direction the
tooth grows: sweep upper teeth
down and lower teeth up.