我们小时候都学过该怎样刷牙。但你知道如何清洁牙齿才最 有效吗？每天该什么时候刷牙？是否需要刷够一定的时间，或使用一定的技巧？本期围绕这件每日必行之事展开讨论。

词汇：teeth 牙齿

We all know that cleaning our teeth is important, right? Because, if you don’t clean them and things go wrong, they can cause you a lot of pain and discomfort. We’re taught from a young age how to clean our teeth, but the question is – do we all clean our teeth in the same way? Is there a specific time, technique , or duration you should be incorporating into your dental routine?

我们都知道清洁牙齿很重要，对吧？因为如果你不清理它们的话，牙齿就会出现问题，它们会给你带来很多痛苦和不适。我们从小就被教导如何清洁牙齿，但问题是——我们是否都以同样的方式清洁牙齿？您是否应该将特定的时间、 技术 或持续多久时间纳入您的牙科常规？

When our milk teeth first appear in our infant years, we are shown, often by our parents, how to clean them – a ritual normally accompanied by some kind of catchy song. As we mature, our baby teeth drop out, replaced by adult teeth. And soon it’s from trips to the dentists that we get more advice. And that’s the issue – when trying to discover the best way to brush your teeth, it feels like there are so many different tips and tricks.

当我们的 乳牙 在婴儿时期首次出现时，我们的父母通常会向我们展示如何清洁它们——这种 仪式 通常 伴随 着某种 朗朗上口 的歌曲。随着我们的成熟，我们的 乳牙 脱落，取而代之的是成年牙齿。很快，我们从牙医那里得到了更多的建议。这就是问题所在——当试图发现刷牙的最佳方式时，觉得就像有很多不同的建议和技巧。

University College London (UCL) analysed 66 sources of toothbrushing advice from around the world. The most commonly recommended techniques incorporated circular movements and horizontal brush strokes . However, there were some deviations. The angle of the brush , use of vertical movements and rigorous scrubbing were all variations on brushing advice.

伦敦大学学院 (UCL) 分析了 来自世界各地的66个 刷牙建议来源。 最普遍推荐的技术包括 圆周 运动 和 水平 刷牙 。 但是，这些建议中也有一些差异。如 刷子 的 角度 ， 垂直 运动的使用和 严格的擦洗 都是刷牙建议的变化。

And it seems that not one single technique is the standard method – so, if that’s the case, how do we know if we’re doing it right? Well – there is some standard advice. It seems that brushing for between two to three minutes, two or three times a day, is the best course of action. And if you’re one of these people who think it’s wise to brush straight after sugary foods to prevent decay , think again. Apparently, bacteria weaken the enamel almost immediately upon eating, so it’s wiser to wait for an hour or so before brushing.

而且似乎没有一种技术是标准方法——所以，如果是这样，我们怎么知道我们做得对吗？嗯——有一些标准的建议。似乎每天刷牙两到三分钟，一天两到三次，是最好的做法。如果你是这些人中的一员，认为在吃了 含糖 食物后直接刷牙以防止 腐烂 是明智的，那就再想一想。显然，细菌在进食后几乎会立即削弱 牙釉质 ，因此在刷牙前等待一个小时左右会更明智。

So, while there is not one standardised technique, most dentists recommend a combination of horizontal and circular movements, lasting for between two to three minutes, two or three times a day. Do that, and you might not need too many trips to the dentist.

因此，虽然没有一种标准化的技术，但大多数牙医建议将水平运动和圆周运动相结合进行刷牙，每次持续两到三分钟，每天两到三次。这样做，您可能不需要经常去看牙医。

词汇表

technique 技巧milk teeth 乳齿ritual 例行公事accompanied 伴随着catchy 好听易记的，朗朗上口的baby teeth 乳牙toothbrushing 刷牙circular 绕圈的horizontal 横的，水平的stroke （刷）一下angle 角度brush 牙刷vertical 竖的，垂直的rigorous 严谨细致的scrub 用力刷、擦sugary 含糖的decay 蛀牙，龋齿enamel 牙釉质

测验与练习

1. 阅读课文并回答问题。

1. True or false? Our parents often use a song to help teach us how to brush our teeth.

2. How many different sources of toothbrushing information were analysed in the UCL study?

3. What was the most commonly recommended technique?

4. How many times a day should you brush your teeth?

5. How long should you brush your teeth for?

2. 选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。

1. I prefer water to _______ drinks.

sugary scrubbing enamel regulate

2. I spent all day _______ the floor. It’s still not clean!

catchy scrubbing rigorous decay

3. The accountants carried out a _______ check of my finances.

strokes enamel rigorous horizontal

4. I can’t stop singing that song – it’s really _______.

baby teeth catchy strokes scrubbing

5. Brush your teeth to help stop tooth _______.

decay ritual catchy rigorous

答案

1. 阅读课文并回答问题。

1. True or false? Our parents often use a song to help teach us how to brush our teeth. True. Our parents often use a catchy song to help us learn how to brush our teeth.

2. How many different sources of toothbrushing information were analysed in the UCL study? UCL analysed 66 sources of information from around the world.

3. What was the most commonly recommended technique? The most commonly recommended techniques incorporated circular movements and horizontal brush strokes.

4. How many times a day should you brush your teeth? You should brush your teeth two to three times a day.

5. How long should you brush your teeth for? You should brush your teeth for between two to three minutes.

2. 选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。

1. I prefer water to sugary drinks.

2. I spent all day scrubbing the floor. It’s still not clean!

3. The accountants carried out a rigorous check of my finances.

4. I can’t stop singing that song – it’s really catchy .

5. Brush your teeth to help stop tooth decay .