In the little town called Oral Cavity, every day was like a fairy tale. The little houses, white as snow, gleamed in the sun, which always looked into the town whenever the boy Matthew smiled. The streets between the houses, called gums, were always clean and pink. The diligent Mrs. Enamel took care of the order and strength of all the little houses.
She wasn't alone in this. She had two skilled helpers, two brothers named Calcium and Phosphorus. Every night, when Matthew fell asleep, all three of them set out into the streets. They took their buckets and shovels and repaired all the scratches and small pits that the Acid Thieves had caused during the day. These invisible rascals always appeared after Matthew ate something sweet or drank fizzy raspberry soda.
Mrs. Enamel mixed a special elixir, a kind of building mortar, according to a secret recipe. Thanks to it, the tooth-houses were strong and radiant.
One morning, however, Mrs. Enamel woke up with great concern. "Calcium! Phosphorus! Come here quickly!" she called, and her voice sounded worried.
The two brothers came running immediately. "What's wrong, Mrs. Enamel?" asked Calcium, nervously rubbing his hands together. "Our secret recipe... It's gone!" she pointed to a small shelf where the recipe book was always safely stored. The shelf was empty.
Phosphorus gasped. "But... how will we mix our strengthening mortar? The Acid Thieves had a feast today! Matthew had sour candies for lunch!"
Mrs. Enamel sighed. "I don't know. But we must find it. Let's split up. I'll search around the upper houses, you two look down below."
Calcium and Phosphorus nodded and began their search. They looked around every corner, peered under the tongue, which towered above them like a huge pink mountain, but the recipe was nowhere to be found. Then Phosphorus stumbled and almost fell.
"Watch out!" shouted Calcium. "You almost stepped into the Caramel Lake!"
Before them spread a sticky, brown surface. It had formed from one caramel candy that Matthew had eaten yesterday and which had stuck between two teeth. The lake lazily stretched and bubbled.
"We can't get through there," said Calcium. "It's too sticky. And look, something's gleaming there in the middle!"
In the middle of the lake, a piece of paper was indeed sticking out. "That's our recipe!" exclaimed Phosphorus. "We have to get to it!"
But how? Calcium thought for a moment. "Do you remember those toothpicks that Matthew left here yesterday? One landed nearby. We could use it as a bridge!"
It was a brilliant idea. Together they pushed the thin stick all the way to the shore of the sticky lake. Calcium bravely set out to the other side. He carefully crossed the bridge, grabbed the paper, and hurried back. When he returned, he triumphantly unfolded it.
"We have it!"
His smile, however, quickly faded. On the paper was written only one word: "SUGAR".
"This isn't the whole recipe," said Phosphorus disappointedly. "That's just a warning."
Just then Mrs. Enamel returned to them. "I found nothing. What about you?"
Calcium showed her the paper. "We only found this. We have to keep looking."
Their next journey led around large molars, which looked like mighty castles. Suddenly they heard gurgling. But it wasn't the sound of clean water.
"Watch out, Acid River!" Mrs. Enamel warned them. A stream of raspberry soda was flowing from the gap between teeth. The bubbles in it hissed and splashed. Everything the river touched lost its shine and became dull.
"Look!" Phosphorus pointed to the other shore. There, caught on a stem of forgotten parsley, another piece of paper was fluttering.
Wading through the Acid River was dangerous. Its current was strong and stinging. But Mrs. Enamel knew what to do. "We must build a dam! Quickly, find some solid pieces of food that the Acids don't like!"
Calcium and Phosphorus ran off and soon returned with pieces of carrot and apple that Matthew had eaten for a snack. These pieces were firm and full of fiber, which the Acid Thieves didn't like. Together they built a small dam from them, which temporarily diverted the river's current. Mrs. Enamel quickly ran to the other side, took the paper, and returned.
They opened it with hope. It read: "CALCIUM + PHOSPHORUS".
"That's us!" said Calcium. "But that's still not the whole recipe. The most important ingredient is missing. The one that connects everything and makes us invincible."
All three sat on the edge of one tooth and were very sad. The town of Oral Cavity was losing its radiance and they didn't know how to help it.
Suddenly they heard a cheerful swishing sound. "Swish-swish, here and there, I'll clean all corners everywhere!"
A tall figure with thousands of fine bristles on her head was approaching them. It was the wise Mrs. Brush Bristle. She always came morning and evening and tidied up the town.
"Why are you so sad, friends?" she asked with a kind voice.
"We lost the secret ingredient for our elixir," Mrs. Enamel explained and showed her the two papers they had found.
Mrs. Brush smiled. "But you haven't lost anything. You're just looking in the wrong place. That recipe isn't hidden here in the town."
"Then where is it?" they all asked at once.
"The secret ingredient must come from the Big World out there," Brush explained. "And I am its messenger. It's called Fluoride and I carry it with me in special fragrant foam."
Mrs. Enamel, Calcium, and Phosphorus looked at each other in surprise. "Fluoride?"
"Yes," Brush nodded. "It's your best friend. You can't defeat sugar or acids alone. Even you two, Calcium and Phosphorus, aren't enough for all the repairs. But when you combine with Fluoride, you create such strong and resistant protection that the Acid Thieves will be afraid of it."
At that moment, the whole town shook. Matthew's huge face approached and Mrs. Brush Bristle entered the Oral Cavity, completely covered in white, minty foam.
"Here I come! Get ready!" called Brush.
A great dance began. Brush Bristle danced on all the tooth-houses, from one end of the town to the other. Her gentle bristles cleaned all the crevices and her foam full of Fluoride reached everywhere. Mrs. Enamel, Calcium, and Phosphorus joyfully bathed in that miraculous foam. They felt new strength entering them.
When the great cleaning was finished and Matthew rinsed his mouth with clean water, the town of Oral Cavity glowed like never before. The houses were not only white, but seemed to be covered with an invisible, sparkling shield.
"Thank you, Mrs. Brush!" all three called enthusiastically.
"Don't mention it," smiled Brush Bristle. "Don't forget, the recipe isn't lost. It just needs to be replenished every day. All our friend Matthew needs to do is put some of the right paste on me."
Mrs. Enamel looked at her helpers and at the whole radiant town. Finally she understood. The best recipe for healthy and strong teeth isn't a secret, but cooperation. Cooperation between them, the wise Brush, and especially their big friend Matthew.
And she knew that as long as everyone worked together, the town of Oral Cavity would always be the most beautiful and radiant place in the world. And maybe you too have such magical foam at home and help your own diligent builders, don't you?