When I was little I shared a room with my brother. In addition to an occasional stuffed animal sacrifice, thievery upon my Halloween candy and a game or two of “Say Uncle,” we also shared a difference in some basic oral hygiene.
Now, I hated brushing my teeth just like any other kid, but I always did for fear the cavity creeps would stage a war in my mouth.
My brother, on the other hand, made every effort to avoid brushing. His personal favorite was simply wetting his toothbrush.
Being the little sister (okay, “Tattletale”), I often tried to rat him out. He’d reply, “If you don’t believe me, go feel my toothbrush” and actually get away with it!
He was notorious for brushing his teeth on the way to our dental checkups. Without fail, the DDS gave him kudos for his regular brushing. Unfortunately, I often did the walk of shame after the DDS notified my mom of my new cavities. Even worse, I endured the ride home with him smirking at me and saying, “Ha ha!” Oh, the horror …
Bottom line is no matter how well we take care of our teeth, we may still encounter dental issues. Accept that as the truth and there will be no more walks of shame. The important thing is to go regularly to your dentist to maintain a healthy smile. Memories of my lucky brother will be with me forever and if I’m lucky, so will my teeth!