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.”
11. The dentist chuckled and said, “Only if you do not take care of your teeth. Now, let’s take care of that cavity.” I gave a heavy sigh and wished I would have listened to my mom.
