2008-01-11

Have I ever mentioned that my father used to pull our teeth? Actually husband thinks this is actually child abuse, but my dad used to pull our teeth with pliers. Of course the tooth would be loose, in fact the tooth in question would be very loose. I only had 4 teeth not pulled by him. Three by dentists and one by me--with pliers. The last had a really big hook on it, and probably wasn't ready to come out. Maybe. Consequently husband and I agreed that *he* would be the go to parent on the question of teeth.

Amy and Emily both have loose teeth. Amy's is actually more loose and will probably fall out first. I was going to say fall out soon, but you know what? I have no idea how loose a tooth actually has to get before it falls out. I have learned that the sight of the tooth moving in her mouth grosses me out. I can also see the appeal in pliers. I mean when she gets to wiggling it and I feel sort of sick, there's this voice in my brain that says--get the pliers let's end this! I asked husband today and he says--oh yes, they get very loose before they just fall out. This is all so alien to me.

Honestly, I didn't even expect this for another year. I remember losing my first tooth in kindergarten, and so I thought that was when it would happen to the ladies. However, they are almost five (a thought that makes me just want to fall over in disbelief) and a child in the preschool has already lost a tooth, so I suppose it is possible. At their last dentist appointment, Amy had an x-ray and the hygentist said she wouldn't be surprised if she'd lost a tooth before the next visit. Emily was too congested to x-ray, but the concensus seemed to be the same--at the very least a loose tooth.

So now I'm wondering just how loose a tooth has to get. I'm wondering just when this bugger will come out (will she be four, will it wait until after she turns 5). And I'm wondering just what the tooth fairy will leave.
oh and can I add that I'm wondering how gross it is to keep their teeth--my mom did not keep ours and when I asked she got all ewww on me. As if there wasn't grosser stuff in her fridge.

Emily got all freaked out last night about the possibility that her mouth might bleed a little when it comes out (hey mine ALWAYS bled, but then I'm not the go to person here), but this morning I told her about her umbilical cord falling off (it "bled" a little) and how some things bled for a second then stopped and no band-aids were needed. Poor thing, I think was worried about having a band-aid in her mouth. Then this morning Emily asked, if when her tooth fell to if we could just keep it in her baby box, instead of selling it to the tooth fairy (I suppose that is what we do--we exchange it for money). I'm not sure how to handle that one either. Also--what will happen in the uber-jealous house when Amy loses a tooth and Emily does not--because folks that's exactly what's going to happen.

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