I’m not an orthodontist

so I don’t have

the dental anatomic expertise

to know if teeth drift beneath the gums

like stones do, underground, after rain,

getting hung-up on the root canals

of pine and maple trees.

or if gums shrink or swell at night

just a tiny bit enough

so I can’t push my bristled pick

deep between the gaps in my teeth

to get at all that nasty crap and plack

Crest ads always shout warnings about.

All I know is,

some mornings after breakfast,

I can brush AND pick

and some mornings

all I can do is brush

and hope for the best.

And I wonder if even my dentist

knows the answer to my question.

Just like diplomats

or generals

or climate scientists

in their panicked rush.

All we have is questions and hope.

And all we can do

is brush.