Santo Domingo. Various studies, including investigations by the Department of Public Health in England, have shown that children’s brushing routines before bedtime are associated not only with sleep quality, but also with dental health, performance and school readiness, among other emotional, social and developmental aspects of children.
Despite being one of the most important steps in oral care, night brushing is the most forgotten habit, due, among other reasons, to the fatigue accumulated during the day, to the organization tasks for the next day and to the fact that many parents stay asleep watching television. However, there are opportunities for people to become aware of the fact that brushing at night helps prevent the growth of bacteria in the mouth.
According to a article published by the National Library of Medicine[1]located in Maryland, on “the well-being and child development generated by nighttime routines in children”, the promotion of a bedtime habit can be a feasible and cost-effective method to promote positive early childhood development in children. around the world, particularly for young children who are socioeconomically disadvantaged and others who are at risk.
Also, a Oxford Academic study[2] called “Bedtime Routines for Young Children: A Dose-Dependent Association with Sleep Outcomes,” suggests that a consistent bedtime routine results in reduced nighttime awakenings and longer sleep duration in infants. sleep.
This research in which mothers of 10,085 children from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States were interviewed, adds that sleep problems they are one of the most common concerns of parents, occurring in approximately 20-30% of young children and one of the most common behavioral problems brought to the attention of pediatricians.
Dominican reality
This situation is not foreign to the Dominican population, so the company Colgate-Palmolive presented a campaign with the aim of educating people about the importance of brushing at night, to remove bacterial plaque and food debris that are lodged in the teeth before going to sleep, especially because during the night the production of saliva and we can be more vulnerable to the bacteria that cause tooth decay.
The initiative called “The Time to Smile” encourages parents to develop with their children the habit of brushing their teeth at night, giving them tools to create fun and sustainable routines over time and also seeks to raise awareness in the whole family about the benefits of implementing the habit, especially at an early age.
For the regional manager of Colgate-Palmolive Professional Oral Care, Dr. Irma Mauriz, “dental caries is a reality that we must face and one of the most effective actions to help prevent them is tooth brushing, with night brushing being one of the the most important. Therefore, it is essential to establish tools to encourage this routine, such as setting a specific time for brushing, encouraging children to choose the dental products to use and designing a reward system for complying with brushing their teeth.
While the regional manager of the Colgate-Palmolive program “Bright Smiles, Bright Futures”, Ilonka Herrera, indicated that with this campaign a series of tips and tools are made available to parents so that they integrate night brushing as part of the children’s daily activities.
