Dental Health for Kids & Adults!

Basic Hygiene

When you take care of your body by keeping your skin and hair clean, it isn’t just because you want to look good. When you are in school, you can catch illnesses more easily because you are around lots of other kids. Germs can spread through the air and can get us sick if they get into our bodies, too. There are even illnesses we can get from not having clean hair, so it is important to always keep our head and hair clean. Washing our bodies and hair every day with soap and warm water in the shower or bath will allow us to rid ourselves of germs, dirt, and body odor. Be sure to take a bath every day before school or at night before bed. When you bathe, wash your face, hair, armpits, ears, neck, and other places that get dirty.

• Why We Wash Our Hands
• Taking Care of Your Body
• Personal Hygiene Facts
• Hygiene During the Puberty Years
• Personal Hygiene for Teens<
• Personal Care and Hygiene

Hand–Washing

Our hands touch everything, and then we touch our face and get germs into our bodies. Washing your hands is so important in order to keep from getting sick. Sneezing, using the bathroom, playing outside, playing with pets, blowing our nose, and taking out the trash can get so many germs on our hands. We must always wash our hands after we do these things, especially when we are getting ready to eat a meal or snack or prepare food. It is important to use soap every time we wash our hands so that it will get rid of the germs that make us sick. Wet your hands, lather them up with soap, and then rub them around for at least 15 to 20 seconds. Rinse them well, making sure to get all of the suds off, then dry your hands on a clean towel. It is a good idea to keep your fingers out of your mouth, nose, and eyes so that you aren’t getting germs into your body.

• Teaching Hand-Washing to Young Children(PDF)
• Hand-Washing for Parents and Kids
• Prevent Spreading Germs with Hand-Washing
• The Importance of Washing Your Hands
• Keeping Your Hands Clean

Dental Hygiene

By the time you are in elementary school, you should be visiting your dentist on a regular basis. Even though the dentist cleans our teeth, we must do our part at home to make sure that our mouths, teeth, and gums stay healthy. Keeping your mouth healthy will help you to keep other parts of your body healthy as well. We should be brushing our teeth at least twice every day, once in the morning and once before bed. Be sure to brush all of your teeth, even the ones in the back that are hard to reach. If you can do it yourself, you should floss your teeth, too. Whenever we eat, food can be left behind between our teeth, and this can cause problems. Gently move the floss between each tooth in order to make sure your remove any food or plaque left behind after brushing. It is a good idea to

• Germs and Tooth Decay
• Preventing Dental Problems Through Diet
• Resources for Oral Health Discussions
• Caring for Your Child’s Teeth
• Healthy Smiles(PDF)
• Fluoride and How it Works

Other Health and Hygiene Practices

Staying healthy and living a healthy lifestyle will help you to keep your body free from disease and sickness. When we take care of ourselves, we can stay healthier. Try to get enough sleep at night: You will feel better and do better in school when you’ve gotten a good night’s sleep. Kids in elementary school need around 10 to 11 hours of sleep every night. Eating a healthy diet will help your body to stay healthy as well. When we fuel our bodies with fruits, vegetables, healthy grains, and protein, we can look and feel better. Eating a diet that is beneficial for your body will help you to grow stronger as you get older, too. Exercising daily will help you to stay healthy and will also help you to get a good night’s sleep every night. Each day, try to get at least 30 minutes of activity so that your body gets adequate exercise. Get active, play hard, and get your heart rate up by riding your bike, playing basketball, jogging, or jumping rope, which are all great ideas to get good exercise each day. You can also do activities inside that will benefit your body, like dancing, playing active games, or even playing tag. Staying active will help you live a healthy lifestyle.

• Dietary Recommendations for Healthy Kids
• A Guide to Healthy Eating (PDF)
• Healthy Habits for Kids
• Helping Children Maintain a Healthy Weight
• Healthy Eating
• Sleep Routines for Kids (PDF)
• Encouraging Good Sleeping Habits

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