Tooth or Dare?

I should care, but I don't. I already have two crowns, yet for some reason I don't seem to be getting any more (even cavities), despite the fact that I rarely remember to brush my teeth. For me, a dentist appointment is just an hour and a half out of my day, and nothing more - everything I calculate to do in my life is based on how much time I spend (which is probably why I don't remember to brush my teeth - it doesn't take very much time and I could spend that time doing something else productive).

I shame my kind. Dragons are supposed to take care of their teeth. Then again, I'm not nearly as carnivorous as the rest, and I don't care if they laugh at me for eating vegetables.

 

I care a lot about my teeth, and for good reason. Long story short, I used to work with a woman whose breath was so bad it hurt just talking to her, and she was talkative. Her breath was literally worse than that time I left a mayonnaisey chicken sandwich in a tupperware in my car in the summer for a week and it got maggots. Worse than that! I don't want to be someone who literally causes people pain just by talking.

I go to a dentist annually now, and I'm usually told good things. I've only had one cavity and a couple of bouts of easily-cured gingivitis. I used to brush my teeth every day, but I've ramped it up some. I brush once or twice per day, and maybe once a week or so I'll floss and mouthwash. First floss to dislodge the in-between stuff, then brush to actually get it out of my mouth, then mouthwash to repair the newly exposed areas; in that order. It's working out pretty well for me right now.

 

Me? I have to take as much care as I have to for my teeth. My sister and I were born earlier than normal, so our saliva and mouth didn't develop 100% (it looks like an ordinary mouth, don't worry). The thing is that our salivary glands produce acidic saliva, so it wears away our teeth slowly. We have to brush, use fluoride mouth rinse and floss twice a day, sometimes I forget when I shouldn't... I had 10 operations in my whole life for teeth and one major operation in day surgery two years ago for three teeth. Once, we both had to get silver teeth at two years of age, I remember (that far back) going to the hospital to put them on. In December, when I was in Year 5, I noticed a large cavity in my molar. I thought it was nothing, so I kept calm and carried on. Then, it got bigger. Too big, in fact.

In Year 6, one March day, I had to have an operation to remove three teeth that were severely infected, worn away. I suffered every night with pain with those teeth. I could barely eat or drink. A long time after my operation (I needed anesthetic), in Year 7 last year and Year 8 this year, I had a series of mini operations where my teeth had to be drilled and placed with filling. Six teeth to be exact. Now I can't eat oranges or acidic foods or drinks.

 

I take pretty good care of my teeth, my dentist has never seen a problem with my teeth at all. I'm pretty gentle when brushing them, the bristles of the toothbrush feel really uncomfortable on my teeth and gums, so I have to be a bit lighter with it to avoid triggering my gag reflex. I use mouthwash occasionally as well, and I floss once in a while to get the places in-between my teeth clean. I'm lucky I have no real problems with my teeth, especially since my parents both have had fillings when they were younger.

The only time I've ever had an issue with my teeth is when I had an anxiety attack a few years back and accidentally slammed the back of my head against a wall. My lower jaw got thrust forward and broke off a part of one of my top front incisors. Of course, that didn't help my panic at all, but I did get the tooth fixed in the end, so it was all good.