Answer the following questions.
(a) “…But up-and-down brushin’
And pokin’ and fussin’ '
Didn’t seem worth the time-1 could bite!”
(a) What do these lines convey?
(b) Why did the poet go to the dentist? How could she have avoided it?
© “If you got a tooth, you got a friend"; what do you understand from the line?
(d) With reference to the poem, how can you look after your teeth?
(e) Give an appropriate proverb that conveys the message that this poem carries.
(a) These lines convey that the poet did not realise the importance of regular brushing and proper dental hygiene when she was a child. She did not care for her teeth regularly. She thought it was useless and worthless to clean her teeth after eating anything.
(b) The poet went to the dentist to get her teeth examined. She had developed cavities in her teeth due to unhealthy eating habits and irregular brushing of teeth. She could have avoided this visit if she had taken proper care of her teeth during childhood by brushing them properly and regularly.
© A tooth is like a friend. As a lost friend can never be regimed (got back), a lost tooth never grows again. It cannot be regained or made naturally.
(d) With reference to the poem, we can look after our teeth by
(i) brushing properly twice a day and rinsing our mouth after each meal,
(ii) avoiding sweet and sticky food for better oral hygiene and
(iii) getting a regular dental check up to maintain healthy teeth.
(e) An appropriate proverb that conveys the message that this poem carries is “Prevention is better than cure.”