70 Where There Is No Dentist 2012
Explain how important it is to use a brush with soft hairs. A brush that is stiff
and hard will hurt the gums, not help them.
YES NO
You can make a hard brush softer
by putting the hairs into hot water
for a few minutes.
Do not put the plastic handle into
the hot water, or it will melt.
If your store has only hard brushes, tell the store keeper that hard
toothbrushes do not help the people in the community. Ask him to order and
sell only soft toothbrushes.
Note: Another important way to reduce cavities is by adding
fluoride to teeth. Fluoride is a substance which, like
calcium, makes teeth harder and stronger.
Fluoride in drinking water, toothpaste, salt, vitamins, and mouth
rinses helps to prevent cavities. These methods are sometimes
expensive. But treating teeth once a week with fluoride toothpaste
is effective and inexpensive. See page 211.
Fluoride can also be found naturally in food and water. For
example, tea leaves and most foods from the sea contain a large
amount of fluoride.
So, your source of fluoride can be either:
OR