“All good!” the oral hygienist says, “We just have to wait until you get your braces off to see if you have cavities in between your teeth.” I’m sorry, what? These tiny holes are caused by acid-producing bacteria, which slowly rot your enamel, eugh. The thought of them makes me shiver, motivating me to brush and floss every day. Whether I’ve finished all my homework early or it’s late at night, I can promise you that I have protected my teeth against the nanoscopic fiends trying to find a home in my mouth.
Now you may be wondering, what has brought about this semi-irrational fear of cavities? From a young age, I prided myself on having fewer dental mishaps than my sister, but soon, this satisfaction turned into a genuine panic at the thought of leftover food in my teeth. Moreover, the feeling of needles in my mouth, slowly numbing my gums, was unsettling. The pain wasn’t enough to truly be frightened of, but the pinprick sufficiently sent shivers down my spine. Thus, my nightly ritual of vigorously flossing and brushing began and I have no plan on stopping anytime soon.