Tosia and Miłosz discover their new toothbrushes are no ordinary brushes, and are pulled into the strange, tooth-built world of Toothland.
Tosia and Miłosz whispered to each other all the way home from school, because something in their backpacks would not stop buzzing. Their mother had bought them new toothbrushes that morning, plain white ones with blue handles. Or so Tosia thought. Miłosz kept glancing at his bag as if it might bite him.
Before they even reached the front door, he unzipped his backpack and peeked inside. The toothbrush lay there shining so brightly it looked dusted with tiny crystals. "Tosia," he breathed. She took hers out too, and the moment her fingers closed around the handle, a warm tingle ran up her arm. From somewhere inside the house came a faint rustling sound, like dry leaves skittering across tile.
They hurried into the bathroom. Silver specks drifted through the air above the sink, spinning faster and faster around the toothbrushes in their hands. The floor gave a sudden shudder. The tiles stretched, split, and opened like soft candyfloss. Tosia grabbed for the doorframe; Miłosz shouted; and then they were falling, falling into a white whirl of light.
They landed softly on something springy and cool. When they looked up, they forgot to breathe. Mountains of gleaming molars rose in the distance, a river twisted between tooth-shaped hills, and a bridge made of floss arched over water that sparkled like mint. Tiny figures in little aprons marched along the paths, carrying toothpaste tubes like lanterns.
From behind a hill of giant incisors came a creature with furry cheeks, glittering eyes, and a grin so wide it seemed to stretch forever. "Welcome to Toothland," he called, his voice echoing between the teeth. "You arrived just in time. Something has gone wrong in the deep places, and the Plakus are spreading again."
Tosia tightened her grip on the toothbrush. Miłosz took one step forward, then stopped. Behind the nearest bush of toothpaste, something gave a soft giggle. A hairy paw slipped into view, and the shadows between the white trees started to move.