About a decade ago, two of my children wore braces on their teeth. In that season, my children examined the dentition of everyone in the house to see who had a perfect dentition and who did not. The verdict on my dentition was unanimous: my teeth were not straight and I did not have a lovely dentition. Occasionally, they teased me about my dentition, and way back then, it briefly crossed my mind to wear braces, but I reasoned, whatever for? My dentition was not that bad. However, I became conscious that I had an imperfect dentition, and sometimes, when photos were taken, I opted for a smile that did not show my teeth.
Last month, I went to see a dentist as I had gingivitis. I also decided to have my teeth polished as it was about a year since I had had that done. The hygienist was away, and a nice, young dental surgeon whom I shall call Jay, attended to me. He prescribed medication for the gingivitis, polished my teeth, and recommended that as part of my dental care, I floss daily and switch from a manual toothbrush to an electric toothbrush. As he examined my teeth, Jay said to me, “You have a really lovely dentition and are capable of having a Hollywood smile. It would be a shame to allow your teeth go bad!”
Me? Lovely dentition? Capable of having a Hollywood smile? I was over the moon!
That evening, before Ubong had a chance to ask how the dental appointment went, I eagerly told him all about it and repeated Jay’s words to him. I also added, “You didn’t tell me I have a lovely dentition. Well, I do, and I’m capable of having a Hollywood smile!”
U replied, “I’ve said you have a lovely dentition many times, but because I’m not a dentist, you didn’t believe me.”
“You did? I don’t remember, but it doesn’t matter,” I said. “I have a lovely dentition and I am capable of having a Hollywood smile!”
As we chatted, I repeatedly gave him the broadest smiles so he could see my dentition. All evening, I grinned like a Cheshire cat. When Tash got home from school, I showed her my polished teeth and said, “Guess what, Tash? Your mom has a really lovely dentition. I am even capable of having a Hollywood smile. The dental surgeon told me that, and he should know cause he’s seen so many dentitions.”
When my other children called, if the call was audio, I quickly switched to a video call so I could show them my dentition. With a mixture of joy and something akin to pride, I announced to them, “Guess what? You guys were wrong! I have a beautiful dentition and I am capable of having a Hollywood smile! The dental surgeon told me that.”
In the days that followed, I reminded U and the children of Jay’s words many times and repeatedly flashed before them the broadest smiles I could come up with. But it didn’t end there.
A week after my appointment with Jay, Tash and I were in a pharmacy and there was a roll-up banner of an advert with five people. All five people had broad smiles that showed their dentitions. I drew Tash’s attention to the advert and said, “My dentition is just as beautiful as the dentitions of these people. Do you know that I can do an advert like this? As a matter of fact, I can even do a toothpaste advert because I have a Hollywood smile! Jay told me that, and he knows a lot about dentitions.”
I guess I figured that since I had been religiously following Jay’s recommendation for a week, I was no longer just capable of having a Hollywood smile, but now had a Hollywood smile (fancy that). As I stared at the advert, I imagined myself in an advert, proudly displaying a Hollywood smile, whatever that is. The power of words!
Because of Jay’s words, my view of my dentition drastically changed as did my dental care regimen. Additionally, I now saw possibilities I had previously not considered: I could do a toothpaste advert! Isn’t it amazing what words can do? I am certain that many of us have stories of the impact that words have had on us. There are people who can trace their success stories to inspiring words they heard or read somewhere. Sadly, there are also people who are hurt and broken because of the words that were spoken to them. Words are really powerful! They can destroy, and they can also build up. They can empower the weak, give hope to the discouraged, and inspire people in unbelievable ways.
I would like to throw a challenge to everyone who reads this post: for the next three weeks, each day, use your words to build somebody up. I hear it takes three weeks to form a habit, so I hope this becomes a lasting habit .Be the reason someone smiles and is lifted.
I will end this post with some words that I would like to say to everyone. I know that I have used some of these words in previous posts, but I don’t think I can say them enough times: “You are loved with a love that continues forever.” “You are beautiful, and you are wonderfully made.” “You are capable of doing amazing things.” “You are not forgotten.” “Whatever you may be going through right now, it’s going to be okay in the end because God has planned for you a bright future that’s filled with wonderful things.” I pray that these words, which by the way are not mine, but the words of God (I chose to use His words rather than mine since words carry only as much weight as the speaker) will change your view of yourself, make you see possibilities you never considered, and empower you to make the necessary changes to bring those possibilities to life!
P/s: This write-up was first published on Facebook on February 21, 2019.
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Hmmm… Inspiring… Words are indeed powerful. They can give strength even to the weakest amongst us. Thank you ma for sharing.
You are welcome, and thanks for your reading and commenting. Apologies for the delayed response.
Nice Article
Thank you, and my sincere apologies for the delayed response. At the time you commented, I had technical challenges that did not allow comments to be seen.
Thanks for sharing. And yes, you do have a lovely smile
Aww, thanks so much, dear Jess, and huge apologies for the delayed response (technical challenges). Hugs!