COLGATE ORAL CARE QUIZ-OFF: A FUN & LEARNING ACTIVITY FOR MOMS

That afternoon spent with fellow mom bloggers for a quiz-off on oral care held at the Seda Hotel in BGC was truly an eye-opener. I can’t believe I’ve been doing a handful of oral hygiene practices incorrectly for over 30 years! I’m wondering: Could you be doing these ‘wrong practices’ (which you could also be passing on to your children), just like me, too? If yes, they must be corrected outright, agree? I’ll then post a few questions on oral hygiene towards the end of this blog (an online fun quiz, kind of) and I hope you could join and learn from them, like we did!

Well, I guess you could say that, just last week, my oral care awareness was moved to a higher notch—Thanks to Colgate! I’m truly pleased with brand’s efforts to keep us parents abreast on the importance of proper oral health not just for ourselves, more so for our kids! As Ms. Glowie Robillo, the Digital Marketing and Public Relations Manager of Colgate-Palmolive Philippines said, “Oral care is and will always be one of the core aspects of a child’s health and well-being.” So true. And being parents to these kids, we must be the first to know the proper oral care so we could teach them the right way!

For this event, the mommas were grouped into three teams. We were basically a group of moms who blog from Nuffnang and Movement. Our oral heath knowledge was put to the test, quiznight-style. (The event reminded me of the days back when I was still a teacher. I usually had quiz-off in class to teach or review concepts as it was one strategy that I found very effective yet less stressful for the kids.) At that time, we were asked the most common but confusing questions about oral health. We had loads of fun, I tell you. We laughed even at our own mistakes (Just like my students way back)! Hahaha!

During the activity, Colgate’s resident dentists, Dr. Bong David, Dr. Louie Quiambaoand Dr. Noel Luna, as well as the BSBF/Public Health/Professional Oral Care Digital Manager, DiomarEscat, taught us several on proper oral health and then later on busted some general myths and misconceptions, and even shared useful trivia about kids’ oral health as well!

And as I’ve told you in the beginning of this post, I’ll ask you some questions on oral health (and will share what I’ve learned by answering them so we could learn together). Are you ready then? So, how much do you know about oral care? Find out!

1. True or False. It is best to rinse with a non-alcohol based mouthwash immediately after brushing.

(Answer: False! According to the esteemed dentists at the event, thou shall not rinse your mouth after brushing as the fluoride in your toothpaste will be washed away! In short, just brush your teeth and walk away. I’ve never done this before! I was raised to gurgle with water outright after brushing. Hahaha! (Yup, rinsing your mouth even with just plain water will rinse off the fluoride!) Allow 30 minutes to pass before you rinse with water or a mouthwash. Also, a non-alcohol based mouthwash is recommended over the alcohol based one!

2. True or False. The acidity of your food or drink must be considered before brushing your teeth.

(Answer: True! Because of the acidic nature of the food and drink we intake (think of juice and soda), the outer portion of our teeth get porous hence brushing immediately can cause enamel abrasions leading to tooth sensitivity!)

3. The incidence of cavities among Filipino kids is:
a. 3 out 10
b. 5 out of 10
c. out of 10
d. 9 out of 10

(Answer: Sadly, 9 out of 10 grade 1 public school students have cavities! The most common oral health problems would be dental caries and periodontal disease which can be avoided by improving oral health care!

4. The perfect angle to tilt your toothbrush is:
a. 30 degrees
b. 45 degrees
c. 60 degrees
d. 90 degrees

(Answer: The perfect angle to brush your teeth is 45 degrees for that optimal reach. The proper way of brushing is to tilt the brush at 45 degrees angle against the gum-line and SWEEP or ROLL the brush away from the gum-line by using short strokes! Then, gently brush the outside, inside and chewing surface of each tooth using back and forth strokes. Do not forget to brush your tongue to remove the germs and to keep your breath cool and fresh!

What’s your score? Did you get item number 4? It was only then that I learned I was teaching my kids to brush the wrong way! If you’re wondering who won the quiz-off that afternoon, well it was a tie between our team and team 1 initially but the tie breaker question earned them the first place! Awww! The questions I posted were just half of the questions we answered and talked about. Much learning for that afternoon!

After the quiz-off, some facts and myths on oral care for kids were also presented to us. Some of these included:

• Retain the milk teeth as much as possible as the milk teeth acts as guide to the erupting permanent teeth. Early removal of milk teeth can cause misalignment of the permanent teeth.
• Bring your child to the dental clinic at an early age.
• Even babies can get cavities so keep your baby’s mouth clean.
• Put the right amount of toothpaste that is appropriate for your child’s age. For children under 2 years old, use a smear of fluoride toothpaste while for children aged 2-5, use a pea-sized amount.
• If you think your child needs orthodontic braces, take your child to the orthodontic dentist as early as aged 6 or 7. At this stage, teeth are still growing and so with the jaw. This means that certain conditions (like crowding) may be easier to address.

I told you, it was an afternoon loaded with fun and learning! I’m glad I am now more equipped when it comes to proper oral care which I can pass on to my kids!

Would you like to learn more on Colgate products and Tips on Proper Oral Care, too? Visit www.Colgate.ph! Thank you Colgate having us and for your advocacy to promote #HealthySmilesHealthyLives for every Filipino family!