Squeaky CleanRunning to the bathroom with little football pajamas and crazy hair. Just rushing to brush your teeth before bed. For years we have all heard that we need to take care of our teeth. As a child, the idea of ​​losing all of your teeth forever can be scary. But does this really happen when we don't brush our teeth? What are the consequences? Is it really worth not taking those 15 minutes out of our day to maintain good oral hygiene? Tooth brushing has been around for a long time. The first record of people brushing their teeth dates back to 3000 BC with ancient civilizations. They used a “chew stick” which was their version of a toothbrush. It was a thin, rounded piece of wood with a frayed end. The first bristle toothbrush was created later in 1498 in China. It had bristles that were straight and made from pig neck hair. It was not until 1938 that the first toothbrush that we know today was invented by the DuPont company. It was called Doctor West's Miracle Toothbrush (Weinbeger, 1948). Let's start with the most important question. What is dentists' definition of good daily tooth brushing? There are generally ten mistakes that most people seem to overlook and don't hesitate to make. The first being not knowing what type of toothbrush to use. There are several types of toothbrushes on the market. When you enter the toothbrush isle, the walls are covered in clever displays trying to lure you into buying their toothbrush. Everything from electric toothbrushes to old school toothbrushes. The second mistake is not knowing which bristles to use. We all know that different toothbrushes have different types of bristles. Straight hairs, angled hairs, some have soft hairs...... middle of paper ......and Conditions Black, hairy tongue. Retrieved from Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/black-hairy-tongue/basics/definition/con-20034518National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. (2012, August). Periodontal (gum) disease: causes, symptoms and treatments. Retrieved from NIH: http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/OralHealth/Topics/GumDiseases/PeriodontalGumDisease.htmNazario, B. (2011, June 30). Oral health. Retrieved from WebMD: http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/image-collection-oral-health#phototake_rm_colored_x-ray_of_periodontal_disease.jpgSaini, R., Saini, S., & Sharma, S. (2010). Periodontal disease linked to cardiovascular disease. Journal of Cardiovascular Disease Research, 161-162. Weinbeger, B. (1948). An introduction to the history of dentistry, with medical, dental, chronological and bibliographic data. St. Louis: CV Mosby Company.