The Town with No Teeth

There once was a town, not much known for ordeals, of people who had no teeth for their meals. No teeth for smiles or piles of food, no teeth to display their feelings or moods. It was quite a sad scene, these toothless folk, whose lives had all but gone up in smoke. 

Oh, they hadn’t always been toothless. 

At one time, everyone had a set of white teeth, 

strong chomping teeth, 

chewing gnawing teeth. 

Teeth to eat steak, and for veggies and fruit, teeth to eat cheeses while on their commute.

And their teeth loved being teeth. 

They felt good at their jobs, and powerful, too. They could grind any food with a gnaw and a chew. It was a team effort, that much was true, but together, there was nothing that they couldn’t do.

And the people loved their teeth back.

They brushed them and polished them and avoided all boxers. They ate no sugar and saw the tooth doctors. They gave big smiles as they passed each other by, and flashed toothy grins as they politely said, “Hi!”

But then, something happened. Something terrible. Something that no one saw coming, quite out of the blue. Something tempting, and sumptuous, and exciting, and new.

On a trip, someone traveled to a land far away. They brought back a cake that made everyone’s day. It was a scrumptious and sweet and chocolatey food, it melted like butter in their mouths as they chewed.

“If cake can be this good,” they said, “then so can many other things!”

They all began baking and cooking and making. Pies, cookies, and sweet breads for the taking. 

They made candies and taffies and caramel apples and tarts. The sweet foods made them feel all warm in their hearts. The more sugar the better as they whipped the whipped cream, and created desserts only seen in their dreams. 

And they ate.

And they ate.

AND THEY ATE.

They ate so many sugars, their teeth filled with holes. They lost their white shine, it took a terrible toll. It was painful to watch and awful to feel, as the teeth cried out in pain with a squeal.

“Please brush us!” the teeth cried. “And please stop eating sweets!”

But the people were too busy eating their eats to listen to teeth. They just kept eating and eating, more sugars and treats. After all, they were teeth, what could they know? They must do as they’re told, they’ve got nowhere to go!

So the people kept eating the sugary snacks, gorging themselves and becoming more lax. Candy bars, brownies, ice cream, and pop. There was no room for vegetables, they just wouldn’t stop! 

The teeth felt so awful and rundown and smelly. Without getting brushed, they smelled like soured pork belly.

“Please take us to the doctor, and get us fixed up! We hurt and we smell, and we need a check-up!”

But the teeth’s desperate pleas fell on deaf ears.

Ears of candy corn, that is. 

The teeth doctors left, there was no work to do. No one in town would hear what they knew. Oh, they had tried to put up a fight, and stand up for the teeth with all of their might. But not one person listened, not even one, and soon the misdeeds could not be undone. 

The people did not want to stop filling their faces, so the teeth began to pack up their suitcases.

And just like that, they popped from their places, and left the people with only disgraces.

The teeth marched away and well out of sight, with no plans to return to mouths full of blight.

The people were sad, but what could they do? They ate even more to keep from feeling blue. Food got them this far, maybe it could ease their woes, and fill the big void they felt down to the tips of their toes. 

Except…

Eating was hard, VERY HARD, without teeth around. They could no longer chew all those candies in mounds. They could not chomp or crunch, bite, pull or munch. They could not eat anything that packed a punch.

They tried crushing their food in a big stomping pit, mashing and smashing it all into bits. But this was no good, to turn food into jelly, as more food ended up in their toes than their bellies.

They could not even eat healthy foods anymore, and were left with a menu of foods that were a bore. Mashed potatoes was king, and soon became hated, as it was the only food there was to be plated.

It was a sad day when the town figured out what they’d done. They’d caused their good teeth to leave them and run. The people missed their teeth terribly, but what could they do? For your teeth don’t come back once they’ve up and left you. 

Except....

These teeth, they felt badly, for leaving their town. How could they eat without teeth around? The people would starve without them around, or worse, be forever smoothie and mashed potato-bound. So the teeth journeyed back and returned to their home, with conditions in place, or they’d once again roam from each and every face. 

The people agreed no more sweets! Well, at least…

...no more piles of sweets and towers of treats. Maybe one candy (two?) and not a bite more, then healthy foods only, like the teeth had asked for. And they brought back the doctors, and paid them all double, to keep them and their teeth all out of tooth trouble.

And so it was that there had been a town with no teeth. If we look at their story, there’s a lesson beneath. Unhappy teeth do not stay in their place, and if you aren’t kind they may hop away from your face! So brush them and love them and treat them with care, and your teeth will stay with you until you’re old with gray hair.

Then there’s dentures. But that’s for another story.