Dear Teeth,
I have a dentist appointment today and I would really appreciate it if you did not contain any cavities. As you may know, my beautiful smile is all due to you and to my social class. If my family was not in the correct circumstances to have you cleaned and checked every 6 months or so, you would not look so stunning. The privilege that you, my white teeth, grant me is ever so acknowledged. Not only do you allow me to eat whichever and whatever foods I might desire. You also allow me to be self-confident about smiling. You may be slightly crooked, but that crook would only be noticed by me. The others that may subconsciously judge us would never notice. And you may have a slight overbite, but this will never be considered a fault by others and will never endanger the health of your fellow teeth. Overall, you are straight, white, perfect little teeth.
Imagine if you were not. Imagine if I or my parents could not afford the dentist. Imagine if you had needed braces when I was younger and there was not enough money to pay for such orthodontists. You would be crooked and perhaps stained. When people would look at you and thus me, they would question my hygiene. They would wonder if I took care of myself properly. They could even be repulsed and tend towards avoiding me. And what if it got worse? What if there was an accident and I lost a tooth? Or had a cavity that caused a tooth to fall out? People's thinking about you would increase tenfold. How could I smile? How would I express happiness? If I can't smile, how do I let someone know that it was a pleasure to meet them without them judging me? How do I get the job I just interviewed for?
So thank you for being you, pretty little teeth. But also thank you to my parent's social standard of good dental hygiene. Thank you for reminding me to brush my teeth and floss. Thank you for taking me to the dentist to get them cleaned.
Sincerely,
The woman who eats all the candies that are bad for you
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