Teeth Are To Keep (1949)

[Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] One quiet summer afternoon, the whole town seemed to be asleep. [Music] But the strangest noises are coming from the Smith's house. Is there something the matter with Junior? [Music] Junior has cut his first tooth. His parents are proud. So is Molly. Roger thinks teeth are for chewing with you can't chew celery with only one tooth. One tooth is like a pair of scissors with only one blade. It won't cut. But front teeth in the top jaw and front teeth in the bottom jaw can cut the food into little pieces like a pair of scissors. Back teeth are like nutcrackers. They crush the food [Applause] like a mortar and pestle. They grind it. But we must help our teeth to do their job of cutting, crushing, and grinding. Teeth need care to keep them healthy and well, just as the body does. Teeth must be healthy to chew properly. Unhealthy teeth are bad for the whole system. [Music] Ginger keeps his teeth healthy by chewing bones. The Smiths helped their teeth by eating raw carrots and celery and apples and salad. Junior does his best on a biscuit. Afterwards, Mr. Smith has some news. Tomorrow they will go on a picnic. [Music] Roger in his excitement almost forgets that after eating tiny bits of food remain in the mouth and cause tooth decay. And though you can't see it, the tooth rots day by day. But if time were speeded up, you could watch the tooth decaying. And if the holes get really big, often the tooth must come out. The other teeth try to fill in the empty space. And when the teeth are in the wrong places, it's difficult to chew. [Applause] [Music] But Roger knows he can help cut down decay by brushing away the small bits of food right after eating. He can even brush his teeth while thinking of the picnic, and so can the rest of the family. [Music] [Applause] After they've eaten, right away they brush their teeth to help stop decay after breakfast, lunch, and supper. It doesn't take long to keep your teeth clean. It leaves plenty of time to get ready for the picnic, and all the smiths are busy. [Music] [Applause] All except Roger. And Roger is trying to help his teeth decay by eating candy. But Mrs. Smith stops him just in time and gives him a picnic sandwich instead. For sweets cause decay. [Applause] The picnic. The picnic thinks Roger as he finishes his sandwich and goes to bed. The picnic. The picnic. The picnic. There's something else he should think about, too. Ginger is trying to help him remember. Picnic sandwich toothbrush. Roger remembers just in time to use his toothbrush right after eating. [Music] Next morning, it's beautiful weather for the picnic. The Smiths can hardly wait to start, [Music] but they must make one stop on the way for the car to be checked. For cars, like teeth should always be checked before trouble begins. Now the Smiths are really on their way to the country. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] and what a wonderful picnic it is. [Applause] [Music] There's milk. There are apples and oranges. There are brown bread sandwiches of tomatoes. There are radishes and brown bread sandwiches of meat. For these are the foods which added together build strong, healthy teeth. And because it is a picnic and they didn't bring their toothbrushes, the smiths rinse their mouths with water to wash away the little bits of food and keep their teeth clean. [Music] After lunch, the Smiths all do the things they like to do in the fresh air and sun. [Applause] [Music] Roger likes exploring. [Applause] [Music] Following Ginger, he meets a man sitting under a tree. He's a very nice man and he throws sticks for Ginger to fetch. [Music] And he picks a four-leaf clover and gives it to Roger for luck. But just at that moment, a storm comes up. The Smiths pack their things and get ready to go. They all begin to shout for Roger. Why doesn't he hurry? Where can he be? Here he comes, running as fast as he can. Next morning at breakfast, Roger is thinking about the man and the picnic. So, he's not very interested when his mother reminds him that this is the day he is going to the dentist. Birthday once a year, dentist twice a year. He'll have his teeth checked in advance, just as they check the car at the garage. He doesn't really want to go. He'd sooner play with Ginger. But a big surprise is in store for him. He finds that the dentist is his very good friend who gave him the four-leaf clover. And there is hardly anything the matter with his teeth, for Roger keeps them in good condition by following four good rules. He helps to prevent decay by using his toothbrush right after eating. He eats the food that builds strong teeth. It's as easy as two and two. He avoids too much candy, especially between meals, because sweets can cause decay. And to make sure his teeth are healthy and strong, he visits the dentist twice a year. Four rules like the fourleaf clover. [Applause] [Music]