Recently, I came across an interesting yet serious quote about teeth: “Smile while you have them!”

At first, I found it funny and laughed out loud, but then it struck me — what if I didn’t have teeth? How would I look while laughing? And I remembered my grandmother immediately, who was left with no teeth at all.

You must have seen both newborn babies and elderly people without teeth. Babies look cute, but when it comes to the elderly, some find their toothless smiles awkward, while others see them as a reminder of the inevitable reality we all must face. Losing teeth — whether due to age or premature dental problems, can be distressing.

Imagine the frustration of not being able to munch or bite properly. While your gums may try to help, chewing without teeth is a real struggle. It’s not the job of gums to bite or munch, as it turns even the simplest act of eating into a painful challenge.

My grandmother was very old, when she lost almost all of her teeth, meals became a real struggle for her as she had to chew on chappati which she could not do, so she preferred soft foods or even liquid diets because chewing became a real challenge for her.

World Oral Health Day, celebrated on March 20th, emphasises that a healthy mouth is vital for our overall well-being and encourages everyone to prioritise their oral hygiene

But when she got her set of dentures (false teeth), she enjoyed munching and biting on fruits and chappati. After her meals, she would take them out, brush them and take great care of them.

She used to say, “Having your own natural teeth is a blessing — you don’t have to take them out like I do.”

At that time, I didn’t understand her words. But a couple of years later, something happened that changed my perspective. One day, a classmate pointed out that my breath smelt bad. I was so embarrassed. Her words hit me deep inside, and I felt awful. But the truth was my mouth really did smell bad.

When I asked my mother about it, she told me it was because I must have not brushed properly, which........

© Dawn Young Magazine