| 5.2 million 6-19 year old have hearing
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| | Here is a list of sounds and the decibels
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| loss directly related to noise exposure*.
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| | to give you an idea:
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| Don't let your child be part of this
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| | ·0 The softest sound a person can hear
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| unfortunate group.
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| | with normal hearing aka "hearing
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| PEACE & QUIET
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| | threshold"
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| "Offer your child peace and quiet," says
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| | ·10 normal breathing
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| the Noise Center. "Noise poses a serious
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| | ·20 whispering at 5 feet, broadcasting
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| threat to children's hearing, health,
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| | studio, rustling leaves
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| learning and behavior." (And I can't
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| | ·30 soft whisper, library
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| think of an adult who functions well in a
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| | ·50 rainfall, light traffic, average
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| noisy environment either.) "Peace" and
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| | home
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| "quiet" usually go together because
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| | ·60 normal conversation, air
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| without "quiet" there can be no "peace."
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| | conditioning unit
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| Aside from turning down the TV and
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| | ·80 alarm clock
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| stereo, lowering your voice, and
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| | ·85 noisy restaurant
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| providing the opportunity for quiet time
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| | ·90 city traffic
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| in both their work and leisure, take a
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| | ·110-120 rock concert, speedboat,
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| look at the toys you allow your children
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| | headphones on maximum
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| to play with.
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| | ·110 shouting in ear, baby crying, many
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| Fortunately my children didn't suffer
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| | power tools
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| hearing loss from the obnoxiously loud
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| | ·120 thunder, jet takeoff at 200'
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| toys they played with, but I must admit I
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| | ·130-140 firecracker, gunshot, powerful
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| told them to quit for my sake, not
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| | car speakers
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| theirs, and I was always standing a good
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| | ·180 rocket launching
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| bit father away from their toy than they
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| | According to the Noise Center, musical
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| were. One father I know immediately
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| | toys measure over 110 decibels,
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| disarms any noise-making function on a
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| | comparable to many power tools.
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| toy his child receives, and this may not
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| | TEENS
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| be a bad idea.
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| | With your teenagers, pay special
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| And because they're young doesn't work in
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| | attention. So many of the things they
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| this case. You might assume, for
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| | love are not advisable:
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| instance, that your teenager can take
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| | Clubs and discos, 91 - 96 dBA +
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| that 85 decibels (dB) music because he's
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| | Dance floor, 85 - 100 dBA
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| a teenager, but that isn't the case.
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| | At the bar, 90 dBA or more
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| Children's ear canals are shorter than
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| | Personal stereo systems. 60 - 114 dBA
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| adults, and therefore more vulnerable to
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| | Rock concerts, 100 dBA or more average
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| damage in this way.
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| | Car stereos, up to 154 dBA in the car!!
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| A study conducted by the Henry Ford
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| | Home stereo, 80 - 115 dBA
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| Health System found that many current
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| | If you take your kids hunting or to the
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| toys, including tape recorders, bike
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| | shooting range, take the hearing
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| horns, cap guns, and toy telephones, are
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| | protectors along. Firearms are all high
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| not safe for your child's hearing. Of the
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| | and a single exposure can cause permanent
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| 25 they tested, more than half of them
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| | hearing loss. Examples, 12-guage shotgun,
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| made sounds higher than 115 dBs.
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| | 150-165 dB, shotgun, 163-172 dB, rifle,
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| According to The National Institute for
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| | 143-170 dB. Most firearms start at 100 dB
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| Occupational Safety and Health, at 110
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| | and can go as high as 190 Db.
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| dB, the maximum undamaging exposure time
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| | You may also assign your older child or
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| is one minute and 29 seconds.
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| | teenage chores involving power tools
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| NOTE: In researching this article I found
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| | which require supervision for safety,
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| a variety of decibels, as well as length
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| | including hearing safety.
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| of exposure before damage and also read
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| | Also note than a firecracker can cause
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| studies saying that individuals varied in
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| | immediate damage.
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| their tolerance for noises. The data is
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| | RECREATION
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| not consistent, but will give you a
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| | Two other things children and teens like
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| range. Should you be wondering what
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| | should be monitored. Noise levels at
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| protection to take when, ask your
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| | video arcades can exceed 100 decibels
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| personal healthcare professional for
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| | (similar to factory machinery), and
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| medical advice.
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| | computer games and stereo systems can go
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| PERMANENT INSTANT DAMAGE
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| | as high as 135 dB (the level of a
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| The ear is more unforgiving than you may
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| | jackhammer), with car stereos reaching up
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| know. A loud enough noise can cause
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| | to 154 dB, and an action movie is
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| instant, permanent damage, some noises
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| | generally beyond 90 dB.
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| can cause damage if heard long enough,
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| | No one knows exactly what level damages a
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| and there is also cumulative effect over
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| | child's ears, but the Noise Center's Rule
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| time. Prevention is crucial because
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| | of Thumb is: IF YOU HAVE TO SHOUT TO BE
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| noise-induced hearing loss can't be
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| | HEARD THREE FEET AWAY, THE NOISE IS TOO
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| corrected, and hearing aids don't do much
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| | LOUD AND IS DAMAGING TO YOUR HEARING.
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| good.
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| | Don't let your child become a statistic.
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| Sound is vibration and has three
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| | According to Dangerous Decibels,
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| properties: intensity, frequency and
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| | approximately 30 million Americans have
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| duration. "Intensity" is what is measured
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| | hearing loss, and 50 million have
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| in decibels (dBs). A measure called dBA
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| | tinnitus, an early indicator. According
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| indicates damage to hearing. The higher
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| | to a study done by Montgomery and
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| the dBA number, the greater the risk of
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| | Fujukawa in 1992, "Over the last 10
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| damage to hearing. This is because
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| | years, the percentage of 2nd graders with
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| intensity translates to pressure on the
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| | hearing loss has increased 2.8 times;
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| eardrum.
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| | hearing loss in 8th graders has increased
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| What sound has what dBs? There is a long
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| | over 4 times."
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| list of dBs (which they equate with dBAs)
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| | Check with your child's pediatrician for
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| on the League for the Hard of Hearing
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| | specific information. This is not medical
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| website ( ), including various
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| | advice.
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| recreational and work situations. A noisy
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| | *According to the 3rd National Health and
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| squeeze toy rates an alarming 135dB from
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| | Nutrition Examination Survey [Niskar,
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| them.
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| | 2000]. Reported on DangerousDecibels.
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| "Noise levels above 85 dB will harm
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| | WHAT CAN YOU DO?
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| hearing over time," they caution, and
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| | 1.Educate yourself about noise levels
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| "noise levels above 140dB can cause
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| | 2.Provide your child with peace and quiet
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| damage to hearing after just one
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| | 3.Make it clear you value peace and quiet
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| exposure." 140dB is also the pain
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| | 4.Counteract that "loud is cool"
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| threshold; most of us hearing a sound at
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| | 5.Ask your local theater to lower decibel
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| this level will feel it as well. All
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| | levels
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| values are approximate.
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| | 6.Provide ear protection
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| According to , harm can occur with 103
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| | 7.Model good hearing protection
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| dBs after 7.5 minutes, 106 dBs after less
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| | 8.Include instruction the same way you do
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| than 4 minutes, 109 dBs after less than 2
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| | when you tell them brushing their teeth
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| minutes, and 115 dBs after around 30
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| | twice a day prevents tooth decay
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| seconds.
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| | 9.
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