‘Teach Me How to Brushy’ Promotes Oral Health - East Idaho News
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‘Teach Me How to Brushy’ Promotes Oral Health

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140395850?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1342730138204iStockPhoto/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — “Pull out your string and it’s time to get your flossy on/Get at the food make your gums grow up nice and strong (yeah)/ … All my teeth love me because I do the brushy.”

So go the lyrics to “Teach Me How to Brushy (sung to the tune of Cali Swag District’s “Teach Me How to Dougie”),” a new PSA launched by the Oregon Dental Association.

Cute kids dance around, brushing and flossing, explaining the awesomeness of oral hygiene in the minute-long video.

“We wanted to create a fun, interactive tool parents can use to get their kids excited about good dental habits,” Oregon Dental Association President-elect Dr. Jill Price, said in a statement. “The mouth is a major health center in the body; unhealthy mouths can lead to diabetes, heart issues, and worse. But rather than lecture parents and expect that lecture to reach their kids, we wanted to create a hub for good facts that families will actually want to check out.”

The association also created a Facebook page that includes quick facts and FAQs regarding dental health, particularly in children. The organization invited parents and kids to create their own “Teach Me How to Brushy” to submit to the association.

Nearly 17 million U.S. children fail to see a dentist every year, according to the Pew Charitable Trust.

Dr. Jonathan D. Shenkin, a pediatric dentist in Augusta, Maine, and an American Dental Association spokesperson, called the PSA, “great” and noted one of the biggest challenges dentists face is emphasizing the importance of consistently brushing one’s teeth.

“There is nothing better that a person can do for their oral health than brush their teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste,” said Shenkin. “This video is great because it’s appealing to a younger audience. A lot of people aren’t serious about their health overall, which can coincide with their oral health, so this is a great way to motivate people.”

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