Our teeth are an important part of our appearance and play a key role in defining our personality. Without teeth, we wouldn’t be able to chew our food properly or enjoy many different kinds of food. Beyond that, our facial expressions would look quite strange without them. This is why it’s essential to take good care of our teeth so that they last a lifetime.

Unfortunately, many people neglect their teeth, and when they begin to lose them or experience damage, they regret not taking better care sooner.

Let me share a story:

Once upon a time, there was a man who was full of youthful enthusiasm but was careless about his health. He ate unhealthy food all day and only cleaned his teeth occasionally. His teeth suffered because of this. The teeth often “talked” among themselves, saying, “Our owner is very careless. He hardly ever cleans us, and soon we’ll all get sick.”

And what the teeth feared eventually happened. One day, one tooth became infected. The other teeth were worried and started discussing their concerns:

“What will happen now? Our friend is very ill.”

When the man felt the pain, he went to the dentist. The dentist examined him and said, “This tooth is severely damaged. It has a cavity, and it seems like it’s affecting the nearby teeth as well. We’ll need to remove it.”

The man became anxious and thought, “If only I had taken better care of my teeth earlier, I wouldn’t be in this situation today.” He also realised that he didn’t have enough money for proper treatment or to get artificial dentures.

While he was still worried, his teeth started “speaking” again. This time, the infected tooth said, “What kind of disease is this? If things continue like this, all my friends will fall sick one by one, and we will all be lost.”

Helpless and troubled by the pain, the man had the infected tooth removed. Although the man seemed to be frightened by the experience and promised to take better care of his teeth, he didn’t change his ways. He continued to eat unhealthy food and didn’t brush his teeth regularly. Soon, all his teeth started hurting.

The dentist informed him that all his teeth were damaged and would need to be removed. In the end, he lost one of the great blessings given by Allah.

This is why, children, our parents stop us from eating too many chocolates, candies and other harmful snacks. Instead, we should eat foods that make us healthy, like fruits, vegetables and milk. These foods strengthen our bodies, and milk provides calcium, which keeps our teeth strong.

It’s important for children to brush their teeth twice a day to keep them healthy and strong. If we don’t, our teeth may end up like the man’s in the story. This is why cleanliness is so important!

Published in Dawn, Young World, October 26th, 2024