Main Street

Some of the things I want to address, in this posting, should have been provided in one of the Muse's postings before the holidays.

First, I would like to address the necessity that you brush your teeth. For your information, local pharmacies and grocery stores provide, at a nominal charge, toothbrushes, which look like small hairbrushes. They have rubber grips that allow for secure handling while moving the brush up and down over your teeth and gums.

Many of us have a desire to brush our teeth in our homes. Those that do, mostly have regular toothbrushes. There are various ways to store your toothbrush when you are not actively brushing your teeth. You can obtain these toothbrush-storing systems by visiting most home goods stores.

The State of New Jersey "strongly recommends" taking care of your teeth. If you deprive children of proper dental care you could be held liable for poor, even failed, parenting. Beyond the fear of being held responsible, none of us want any cavities as a result of us being careless with our kids' dental care.

I can remember being a 10 or 11-years-old and going to sleepovers and thinking I don't have to brush my teeth because my mother wasn't around to make me. Thankfully, my friends had good parents too and they made me brush my teeth.

One of my friends had a father who was a dentist and preached preventive care all the time to his son. I can remember the son instructing me how to properly floss. The training given by my friend's father to his son, which was passed on to us, probably protected us all from ever being injured by the loaded weapon that is gingivitis.

The point is that children are curious. If you keep sweets in the house, make sure you have a good high shelf and a pretty ceramic jar that says "cookies" on it to keep them in. In a kitchen full of chairs, stools and cookbooks. More modern kitchens use motion detecting laser beams to protect the cookies and assorted Oreos and vanilla wafers. If you return home and hear the motion alarm going off and see a cracked ceramic jar on the floor with crumbs all around it you know someone has been snooping around your cookie jar. Kids always find the cookie jar and you will forever be brushing their teeth. There is no need keep a cookie jar full of cookies and plenty of ladder building furniture and books in your kitchen.

With regard to electric toothbrushes, many of us have been fascinated with them since we were young children. Cleary, they need extra attention as the combination of electric currents and water can be fatal. An electric toothbrush with no battery power left does not need to be stored out of the reach of children but can be left on a vanity. The main thought is that you shouldn't just leave your toothbrush lying around with toothpaste on it. Toothpaste dispensers and toothbrushes should be stored in a reasonable proximity for efficient and effective brushing. Mouthwash itself can be dangerous if ingested. Especially Listerine.

Children can play with toothpaste, and could have an accidental discharge by squeezing the tube too tight. The top of the tube of toothpaste sometimes cannot withstand the pressure of a four-year squeezing the tube and leakage, and a mess, could occur. They can also push the button on the top of fancy toothpaste pumps. The button is the part of the pump that causes the toothpaste to discharge. If someone were to push that e-z toothpaste dispenser, as it is correctly advertised, forcefully, the toothpaste could shoot out and again, cause a mess to your bathroom and the individual's clothes playing with said e-z dispenser.

Those of us that display our toothbrushes should look into getting a toothbrush holder that mounts to the wall so that the toothbrush is easily available for use and displayed when not in use. Many of the newer wall mounts have a cup holder as well for those of us who enjoy rinsing our teeth after a good brush.

Many people question the American Dental Society (ADA) because they actually don't understand the ADA. The ADA is responsible for promoting dental care more than any other organization within the country. Four out five dentists are trained by the ADA. I strongly suggest that anyone that has teeth, even if you don't have all of them anymore, consider taking a dental care course provided by the ADA. The ADA is available at (312) 440-8900 and at the website http://www.ada.org/. If you contact the ADA, they can advise you of local ADA-certified dental hygienists, that teach you dental care as well as the general handling of a toothbrush and those pesky floss dispensers.

Also, all the dental hygienists and dentists that practice within the state of New Jersey, have available a videotape that utilizes talking fruit to communicate the importance of proper dental care to young ones. This videotape is excellent. I recently obtained a copy for myself and my daughter, who is now starting to become her own tooth brusher. The videotape covers proper dental care and the four basic food groups. I strongly suggest that even those of you that have brushed your teeth for years obtain a copy of the tape, just to refresh your recollection.

In closing, I hope that everyone strongly considers making sure that any teeth in the home are properly cared for with toothbrush and toothpaste separate until you are ready to brush.

I wish everyone a safe and plaque free new year.

Oh, so you think I'm nuts? Check out Frederick Rast III's "Main Street" in the Atlantic Highlands Beacon.
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