Keeping Clean and Caring for Teeth
FoundationBathe every day, brush your teeth properly morning and night, and eat fewer sweets — then your body and teeth stay healthy.
- Bathe daily and change into clean clothes, so the body stays clean and itch-free.
- Germs turn food bits into acid and make holes in teeth.
- Brush twice a day for two minutes, up and down, inside and outside.
文體小知識：說明文一步一步教我們保持身體清潔，還有保護牙齒的方法，讀完可以天天做到。
§Text Passage
1Primary 2 children are growing every day. Our bodies sweat and pick up dust and germs. Without cleaning, the skin gets itchy and may smell bad. So bathe daily with warm water and soap, and change into clean clothes afterwards.
2Teeth help us chew food, so they are very important. After eating, tiny bits of food stay between the teeth. Germs turn the bits into acid, and acid makes holes in the teeth — this is tooth decay. Decayed teeth hurt, and may need filling or even pulling out.
3Ways to protect teeth: brush morning and night for two minutes each time; brush the top teeth downwards, the bottom teeth upwards, and clean the inside, outside and chewing surfaces. Eat fewer sweets and drink fewer soft drinks, and eat nothing after brushing at bedtime.
4At about six years old, baby teeth begin to fall out and permanent teeth grow in. Permanent teeth do not grow back if they are lost, so we must protect them. See the dentist every six months so small cavities can be filled early, and our teeth can last a lifetime.
1Summary 重點摘要
Bathe every day, brush your teeth properly morning and night, and eat fewer sweets — then your body and teeth stay healthy.
2Vocabulary cards Vocabulary
A new tooth that grows after the baby tooth falls out; it never grows back if lost.
The first set of teeth in children, later replaced by permanent teeth.
Germs turn food bits into acid and make holes in the teeth.
A sour substance that eats away the surface of teeth.
A doctor who checks and treats teeth.
Water that is neither hot nor cold, good for bathing and brushing.
The narrow spaces between teeth where bits of food hide.
An unpleasant smell, such as from an unclean body.
Seeing a doctor or dentist regularly to check the body.
3Step by step Steps
- Step 1: Bathe every daySkin gives off sweat every day and picks up dust and germs; without cleaning it smells and may even develop skin disease. So bathe every evening: rinse the whole body with warm water, clean the underarms and feet with soap, dry yourself at once with a towel, and change into clean pyjamas. Some people think cool days with little sweat allow skipping baths, but germs multiply daily. Only daily cleaning keeps the body fresh and healthy.
- Step 2: Brush twice a day for two minutesTeeth need cleaning twice a day: once after getting up and once before bed, two full minutes each time. Some people think a few quick strokes are enough, but without enough time, bits of food and germs stay between the teeth. Use a sand timer or a little timer, or count slowly in your head while brushing. Give every tooth its full time, and decay will hardly come near.
- Step 3: Brush the right wayBrushing needs the right method — it is not just pulling the brush back and forth. Brush the top teeth downwards, the bottom teeth upwards, and make small circles on the flat chewing surfaces; clean the inside, the outside and the tops. Some people think brushing hard cleans best, but too much force hurts the gums. The right method sweeps away the bits between teeth while keeping the gums healthy — both aims met.
- Step 4: Fewer sweets, more waterSweets, cakes and soft drinks are full of sugar, and germs love to turn sugar into acid that bores holes in teeth. So eat only a little sweet food — at most one small piece a day, and after meals; drink plain water when thirsty instead of sweet drinks. Some people think brushing afterwards makes lots of sweets harmless, but the more sugar, the more acid the germs make and the heavier the burden on the teeth. Less is better.
- Step 5: Nothing to eat after bedtime brushingAfter brushing at night, the teeth are clean and ready to rest. If you eat again, the bits stay between the teeth all night while germs turn them into acid and slowly decay the teeth. Some people think one small bite does no harm, but germs need only a little sugar to do damage. So go to bed right after brushing; if thirsty, drink only a little water, take no supper, and let the teeth rest well all night.
- Step 6: See the dentist regularlySome cavities are too small to see in a mirror and do not hurt at all; only the dentist can find them with special tools. So have a check-up every six months — say once in January and once in July. Some people think no pain means no need to visit, but by the time a tooth hurts the cavity is often deep. A small cavity filled early is quick and painless; left alone, treatment takes far longer.
4Diagrams Diagrams
5Worked example Example
Example: Wah loves sweets. He often sneaks a piece of chocolate after brushing his teeth at night. What will happen to his teeth, and what should he change?
- Eating sweets after brushing leaves bits of food between the teeth all night.
- Germs turn the sugar into acid through the night, and the teeth decay easily.
- The right way: after brushing at bedtime, eat nothing more.
- In the daytime, enjoy sweets after meals, then drink water or rinse the mouth.
- Answer: Wah's teeth will decay easily. He should eat nothing after bedtime brushing, keep daytime sweets for after meals and drink plenty of water, and visit the dentist every six months.
6Common mistakes Mistakes
7Quick check Quick check
Q1What do we call the new teeth that grow after baby teeth fall out?
Q2How many times a day should we brush our teeth?
Q3Which way should we brush the top teeth?
Q4Can we eat after brushing at bedtime?
Q5How often should the dentist check our teeth?
8Recap Recap
- Bathe daily and change into clean clothes, so the body stays clean and itch-free.
- Germs turn food bits into acid and make holes in teeth.
- Brush twice a day for two minutes, up and down, inside and outside.
- Eat fewer sweets, and eat nothing after bedtime brushing.
- Permanent teeth never grow back; see the dentist every six months.