This archive report was first published on 26 July 2019.
As I sat in my dentist's chair, I was shocked to learn that my teeth were suffering from stress. I had always thought that stress was a human emotion, not a dental condition.
My dentist explained that my teeth were actually eroded, a result of using the wrong kind of toothbrush. It turned out that I had been using the same toothbrush for over a year, and the bristles were so frayed that they were facing backwards.
I had tried to revive my toothbrush by soaking it in hot water, but that didn't work. I had even attempted to bite the bristles back into shape, but that was a futile effort.
My toothbrushes had become a part of the family, and I couldn't bring myself to throw them away. They were like sports trophies, proudly displayed in a glass on my bathroom counter.
My dentist recommended that I replace my toothbrush every other month, but I had a hard time letting go of my old toothbrushes. They had become a part of my routine, and I felt like I was betraying them by replacing them.
As I stood in the supermarket, staring at the shelves of toothbrushes, I couldn't help but think about the cost of replacing my toothbrushes. Some of them cost as little as 50 shillings, while others cost close to a thousand bob.
My dentist's words kept echoing in my mind: 'You need to replace your toothbrush every other month.' But I just couldn't bring myself to do it.
