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My daughter lost two top teeth this weekend, after much twisting, tongue-pushing and, eventually, irritation. She has a massive gap across the top.
She is reluctant to let the teeth go, so she wrote a note to the Tooth Fairy, asking her to collect all the teeth, and when all the baby teeth are out, to send them all back. Very inventive, I thought!
The thing is, we do keep all the baby teeth. I'm not sure if most people do this, but I have evidence which says they do. You can't just chuck your child's tooth in the bin. You might bury it, or keep it wrapped in cotton wool, or whatever else.
My evidence is this: A decade or so ago, when I worked on The Helix, a science-education magazine put out by the CSIRO's Education Programmes (and a wonderful mag for kids it is too
http://www.csiro.au/resources/TheHelixM
I, as the editorial assistant, got to unpack the baby teeth and package them in little tubes. I cannot begin to tell you how disgusting this was. I think I have a thing about teeth anyway, but hundreds and hundreds of the things came in, proof positive that parents do not throw out the teeth.
Some came with massive roots attached. Some were covered with dirt, obviously interred then dug up for us. One had a long string of dental floss attached to it; I imagine that's how the tooth was pulled.
Hundreds of teeth over many months.
Finally the study ended, but I still received teeth. Rather than send the teeth back and disappoint the kids, I sent back thank you letters and kept the teeth. I have them in a small container in storage back in Canberra.
She is reluctant to let the teeth go, so she wrote a note to the Tooth Fairy, asking her to collect all the teeth, and when all the baby teeth are out, to send them all back. Very inventive, I thought!
The thing is, we do keep all the baby teeth. I'm not sure if most people do this, but I have evidence which says they do. You can't just chuck your child's tooth in the bin. You might bury it, or keep it wrapped in cotton wool, or whatever else.
My evidence is this: A decade or so ago, when I worked on The Helix, a science-education magazine put out by the CSIRO's Education Programmes (and a wonderful mag for kids it is too
http://www.csiro.au/resources/TheHelixM
I, as the editorial assistant, got to unpack the baby teeth and package them in little tubes. I cannot begin to tell you how disgusting this was. I think I have a thing about teeth anyway, but hundreds and hundreds of the things came in, proof positive that parents do not throw out the teeth.
Some came with massive roots attached. Some were covered with dirt, obviously interred then dug up for us. One had a long string of dental floss attached to it; I imagine that's how the tooth was pulled.
Hundreds of teeth over many months.
Finally the study ended, but I still received teeth. Rather than send the teeth back and disappoint the kids, I sent back thank you letters and kept the teeth. I have them in a small container in storage back in Canberra.
I was squirmy every day I handled these teeth. I used gloves and tweezers but even the feel of them in the tweezers...
Of course, the squirmishness didn't stop me putting the leftovers in a container and keeping them. You take your inspiration where you can, don't you?
I remember when I was probably four I was very curious about the tooth fairy. One morning I awoke to a fairy under my pillow instead of the usual dime, the going rate for a tooth back then. My parents spent quite a bit of time after I went to bed making a little fairy out of a birthday-sized candle. My mom made her a little dress and painted a face on her. I thought it was the coolest thing. Unfortunately I laid her too close to the furnace when I went out to play and when I came back she was melted. Oh well. Still makes me smile to tell that story, though. :)
And the fact that she melted....that must have been distressing for you. But what a perfect end to the story.
The going rate for us is $2.30, because I love the joke in the number....
Wow, the going rate has gone up!
Good to hear from you!
Some people give twenty bucks for a tooth, some give fifty cents. There's no parental agreement! I like the joke, though.
Are they just as small as you remembered?
And even worse, my grandfather brought us candy buttons, ROCK candy (pure sugar), dried apricots, sunflower seeds, Sensen, halvah, etc....My sister and I take after my dad with regards to our teeth. My mom always had to get fillings.
When I'm stressed, I have anxiety dreams about my teeth becoming lose and then falling out. All of them. So terrifying realistic are these dreams that every time I have one, I wake up with my fingers in my mouth as though frantically trying to keep the teeth in place! Fortunately, apart from my top wisdoms, I still have all my adult teeth and none seem in danger of going anywhere just yet. Still, it obviously plays on my mind.
I do think my mum threw out my baby teeth. (She's a very practical woman!) I'll have to ask her.
I have kept both my top wisdom teeth, though, and even sat them in white vinegar and then a baking soda solution to clean and polish them. I still haven't decided what to do with them yet. They are rather impressive in appearance with a massive twisted root and lovely white enamelled crown. I was thinking of making a pair of earrings from them at first, but I hardly wear earrings these days. I'll eventually think of something. For now, they reside in my little tin of strange luck that sits beside me when I write.
There is something about not throwing out your teeth. I guess it's similar to people who keep gallstones and that kind of thing. I love the idea of earrings, though I suspect most people you met would not like them as much as you would.
I have those teeth dreams too. They are awful, aren't they? But the relief, when you wake up, that all your teeth are still there...that bit I love. It's like you've been given a second chance.
I reckon we should get three sets of teeth. The third set to kick in at around 40, when when we might actually look after them and most of our wild nights are behind us.