Brushing up on toothbrushes!

TV advertisements on toothpaste followed a familiar visual narrative. It showed an overly cheerful child brushing his teeth. Once done, he bared his teeth, now shining like pearls, as he got ready for school. The visuals were evidently doctored. The reality was you woke up totally groggy, with the expression of a convict resigned to a life sentence. Being cheerful to go to school was out of question.

Someone dragged you to the washbasin. And with the toothbrush in mouth, you dozed off once more, this time standing and with the toothpaste trickling from the side of the mouth. Eventually, some elder brushed the teeth for you, holding you by the scruff of the neck!

The toothbrush’s appearance defined your personality. Some owners kept theirs new and sparkling. My toothbrush had a disheveled look, with the bristles scattered, much like tousled hair! My sister rebuked, "Look at your toothbrush! Why do you chew it out of shape?"

From time to time, you bought a new toothbrush. That's when the problem began. My sister pounced on me, "Why did you buy another blue toothbrush? Mine is already blue!"  It was an oversight and now, you were stuck. The two toothbrushes stood side-by-side, totally identical, like Vali and Sugreeva. Just as Rama made Sugreeva wear a garland as a mark of identification, you wrapped the handle of your toothbrush with a rubber-band.

Days later, the problem persisted. My sister caught me while brushing her teeth, "Are you by any chance using my toothbrush? The bristles are falling apart!” Confusion reigned supreme. “But I thought, the one with the rubber-band is mine!”  Evidently, the messaging was left vague and now, there were two contenders for the same toothbrush! Even with siblings, the epitome of disgust was toothbrush sharing! It was writ large on my sister’s face, her mouth ajar with the gathering foam of the toothpaste plus total revulsion!

You risked a discussion on toothbrushes with someone from pre-independent India. It followed a pattern of reminiscence- "In those days, we did not have fancy toothbrushes like you do. We had to use a neem-twig! That is why we have strong teeth!" It was difficult to respond to these observations. The intent was also perplexing. Did it question the progress made in toothbrush technology? Or perhaps the lack of gratitude for the riches enjoyed by the new generation?

“Back to the roots” is today’s mantra. There is growing chorus for anything “organic”.  In times to come, the “neem-twig” will be neatly packaged and sold as the most modern toothbrush! As you chew the neem-twig in the wee hours of the morning, the voices from the past will echo, “See! I told you so!”