Read “What is a Cavity?” and answer the questions that follow.
1. Say cheese! It was the day of my class pictures. I smiled my big, toothless smile.
2. I just lost my front tooth the week before and got a one dollar bill from the tooth fairy.
3. I went to the store and bought the biggest candy bar a girl could buy for a dollar. My mom told me that anything sweet was not good for my teeth. Little did I know that the bacteria and plaque in our mouths love sugar and cover our teeth like ants at a picnic. Bacteria also covers our gums. Gums are the pink tissues in our mouth that hold our teeth in place. My mom told me to brush my teeth twice a day. Sometimes I did, and sometimes I didn’t.
4. My mom woke me up one morning and said I had a dentist appointment. “Yay!” I squealed. I was so excited to miss a half of a day of school to go and see the dentist. All he does is clean and check my teeth.
5. In the past, I received a sticker for not having any cavities. I really did not know what a cavity was, so I decided not to worry about it. I didn’t have one anyway!
6. My check up at the dentist seemed to be going very well. I was so excited that I would get a sticker for no cavities, whatever a cavity was. But then, my dentist sat down next to me and said that he wanted to go over with me how to take care of my teeth since I had a cavity. My smile faded and I looked shocked.
7. My dentist told me a cavity forms when you do not brush the bacteria away and it eats at your teeth. He also told me to brush my front teeth, back, and sides twice a day. He said to brush your teeth for at least 2-3 minutes to make sure you get all of the bacteria.
8. He said to pick out a soft bristle toothbrush every three months and showed me different types of mouthwashes and toothpastes that I could use. He then showed me how to floss by slipping the dental floss, a long thin string, between each tooth and along the gum line.
9. He said this must be done at least once a day so that I can get the bacteria out from between my teeth. He also told me that I could brush my tongue to keep my breath fresh.
10. I then said, “Wow! Taking care of teeth is hard business.”
