India, Jan. 5 -- A small girl tells the true story of pain, fear, gifts, and the day her smile finally changed. When I was very small, my milk teeth turned brown. The doctor said it was because of something called bottle-feeding caries. I did not know what that meant. I only knew my teeth looked different.

Other children had white, shiny smiles. My teeth were brown. When I smiled, I sometimes tried to hide them with my lips or my hand. It felt funny and a little confusing, like something was not right.

My teeth did not look like other children's teeth. Some children noticed and laughed. My heart felt hurt, and I wondered why my smile was not the same as theirs.

My milk teeth eventually became loose with time, but they did not fall out....