What is Hygiene?

Hygiene is a fancy term that really only refers to the steps you take to keep clean and healthy. You are a very important person and you are responsible for keeping yourself special and healthy. Hygiene is what keeps and promotes the health of people and the community. There are clean living habits everyone should try to follow. Let's learn the importance of cleanliness.

Here's an example: Dental hygiene is made up of brushing your teeth with toothpaste at least two times each day, flossing your teeth often, trying not to eat too many sweets that will rot your teeth and seeing your dentist for regular check-ups. You should also wear proper head gear to protect your teeth while playing contact sports and avoid smoking or chewing tobacco, which can stain your teeth, give you bad breath and cause cancer. If you have any problems with your teeth or gums, you should see your dentist as soon as possible. Taking good care of your mouth and teeth will help you to have pleasant breath, a nice smile and fewer cavities.

Dental hygiene is only part of what makes up good personal hygiene. The hygiene of a person includes many good living habits such as:

getting a good night's sleep
eating a good breakfast (don't skip breakfast because it gives you the energy you need to make it through to lunch)
dental care (brush & floss daily, visit your dentist regularly and don't eat too many sweets)
wash your hands frequently to avoid spreading germs for more handwashing information, please visit Henry the Hand Champion Handwasher
take a bath daily to keep the dirt and odors away (use deordorant daily if you are ready)
get plenty of exercise by walking, playing, riding your bike (don't forget to exercise your brain by reading and doing your school work too!)
eating healthy foods (to learn more about eating healthy foods visit our nutrition section)

Taking a bath or shower means washing your body with soap and washing your hair with shampoo. How often you take a bath or shower will depend on your activities. If you take part in activities that get you dirty or make you sweaty, then you will need to get clean more often then someone who does not take part in such activities. A good rule to follow is to take at least one bath or shower each day no matter what and then if you get dirty and smelly while playing, you will need to get clean after your activities.

If you think you already follow the rules of good personal hygiene look in the activity section for an award to print and color along with other hygiene activity pages. Congratulations for keeping yourself so special and healthy!

When you follow the rules of good personal hygiene, you don't only help yourself, but you also help others. How? By keeping clean you are not spreading germs to others and you are not making them sick. Nobody gets offended by bad odors if you take a bath and brush your teeth either! You set a good example to those who look up to you when you get a good night's sleep, take good care of your teeth, exercise, bathe and eat healthy foods regularly. You know that you feel good about yourself and that you are the best you can be when you are well rested, clean, and full of foods that are healthy and good for you.