Cleanliness is basic to health. Every individual should be taught how to keep neat and clean. Clean habits will reduce the chances of getting infection from others and spreading it to others.

Care of mouth

Mouth is an important organ of our body. The digestion of food begins in the mouth. Food is first chewed and crushed with the teeth. It is important to note that food is well chewed for proper digestion. In order to prevent infection and ulceration of mouth, high standard of oral hygiene is necessary.

Poor hygiene of the mouth is a contributory factor for the diseases of cheeks, tongue and teeth. Bad teeth cause infection and ulceration of mouth. Rough and sharp edges of decayed teeth cause irritation in the mouth. We should, therefore, take proper care of our teeth.

We should brush our teeth at least twice a day- in morning and before going to bed. We should rinse our mouth well after taking meals. We should gargle like –warm saline water or with the solution of potassium permanganate once or twice a week. We should never indulge in smoking and betel chewing. Smoking and betel chewing are injurious to mouth and cause a number of diseases such as cancer of cheeks, tongue and larynx etc.

Cleanliness is a social responsibility. Every one of us should help to keep the public places like parks, cinema halls, railway platforms, bus-stop, theatres, offices etc, neat and clean. Indiscriminate spitting is detrimental to health.

The sputum of a sick person may contain germs. Flies and others insects sit on sputum and carry germs with them. When lies sit on the food, they transfer germs to the food and, thus, spread a number of communicable diseases. When we eat contaminated food, we fall sick.

In order to prevent communicable diseases, we should never indulge in indiscriminate spitting. We should always spit in the spittoons or in the drains.