If I could do it all over again, I’d brush my teeth more often, all my life, as a habit and a rule.
The first thing people notice about me is that I’m overweight, but they notice my teeth, too, whenever I smile, or speak, or eat, or open my mouth. I’m in my early 60s and I’ll make it to death without needing
dentures, but my teeth are ugly, stained and wobbly.
And I wish my teeth weren’t so ugly. Wish I could make a good first impression if I tried, but the reality is, that ain’t gonna happen. I’ve had no dental coverage since I turned 18, so in the past 40+ years I’ve seen dentists only to have teeth removed when they became painful. Eleven are gone.
Those that remain are beige instead of white, with many chips, and most of my fillings from childhood have dropped out. It hurts a little when I chomp straight on, so I bite sorta sideways. My uppers and
lowers aren’t aligned, and my entire array of teeth on the top front is tilted to the right.
My teeth still chew, though, and usually without pain. I can eat just about anything except apples and bagels. Which is OK, because apples are overrated and I don’t care for bagels.
I ruined my teeth myself, by never developing the habit of brushing my teeth. When me and my siblings were kids, our parents never stressed the importance of brushing your teeth. They bought us toothbrushes, probably showed us how to brush (can’t really remember), but they never nagged about it or required it. We were occasionally told, “Brush your teeth and go to bed,” but there was never a follow-up question, “Did you brush your teeth?” So, I hardly ever did.
More often than “Brush your teeth and go to bed” it was “Say your prayers and go to bed,” but I didn’t do that, either. I just never developed any good habits, but that’s my fault, not my parents’. My brothers and sisters always brush after every meal. Some of them pray, too.
Mom & Dad could’ve nagged me more about brushing my teeth, but I wouldn’t have listened. Never been much for listening to my elders.
In my 20s and early 30s, I only brushed my teeth when I had a date, and I was never much of a ladies’ man so my teeth went weeks, months unbrushed.
There were probably entire years when I didn’t own a toothbrush, not from poverty but from just not giving a damn. Toothpaste, toothbrush, floss, and dental appointments were unnecessary expenses, I thought.
Only after my second emergency tooth extraction, in my mid-30s, did I start brushing once daily, before showering. Over the years since then I’ve worked up to a solid, reliable twice daily… most days… unless I forget.
Don’t be like me. Brush for two minutes, 2-3 daily. If I could do it all over again, I’d brush my teeth more often, all my life, as a habit and a rule.
Please use me as a cautionary tale, when your children don’t want to brush their teeth, or when you as parents don’t want to nag your kids to brush their teeth. There are consequences if kids don’t develop that habit — serious, genuine consequences that follow you all your life, and they’re as plain as the smile on your face.
5/27/2020
Republished 5/17/2023
Leave a Reply