By Amal Bint Sajad

When I was very small, my milk teeth turned brown. The doctor said it was because of something called bottle-feeding caries. I did not know what that meant. I only knew my teeth looked different.

Other children had white, shiny smiles. My teeth were brown. When I smiled, I sometimes tried to hide them with my lips or my hand. It felt funny and a little confusing, like something was not right.

My teeth did not look like other children’s teeth. Some children noticed and laughed. My heart felt hurt, and I wondered why my smile was not the same as theirs.

My milk teeth eventually became loose with time, but they did not fall out. They stayed inside my mouth for a long time, like they were holding on.

One day, my mother said, “We should go to the dentist and take out your tooth.” 

I thought it would not hurt. I was very, very wrong.

We went to the dentist. He asked me to open my mouth. He took a bottle and sprayed something inside. It tasted salty, bitter, and a little like lemon. 

Then he used a small spoon with a tiny hook at the end. I had to keep my mouth open for a very long time. My mouth felt tired.

After that, the dentist opened a drawer. He took out the thing I hate the most. 

The injection.

I felt very scared. He put the injection inside my mouth, right near the root of my tooth. It hurt a lot. 

I cried and cried. 

When it was done, there was a bump on my upper jaw where the tooth used to be.

I wanted to go home fast. But before we left, the dentist gave me gifts: a pencil box, a puzzle, and a book. 

I felt happy when I saw them. I liked them very much.

The next day, my sister went to the dentist too. She got the same gifts. 

The day after that, I had to go again because another tooth needed to come out. I told my mother, “I don’t want to go to the dentist.” 

She still took me there.

Some time later, another milk tooth had to be taken out. This time, my father pulled it out at home. It came out easily. 

It did not hurt at all. I felt surprised.

Once, my mother tried to pull out one of my teeth too. She stopped. 

She felt more scared than I did.

Today, my last brown milk tooth fell out by itself. 

I did not feel any pain. I did not even know it had fallen until I saw it.

Now my brown milk teeth are gone. 

I feel happy when I smile.

• The author is a Class 3 student at Mallinson Girls School.