Loose Teeth

For over 4 weeks, K’s front left tooth dangled by a thread. She could practically turn it 360 degrees around in her mouth. Our neighbor offered her $5 on Easter to pull it out. We all tried to persuade her to get rid of it. By last weekend, it started to darken with plaque because she wouldn’t touch it. That meant it didn’t get brushed. She would blow and have that tooth just flutter in her mouth. Loved the attention of it, scared what she would look like without it. I secretly thought she superglued it back in her mouth at night! And then 3 more teeth in her mouth started to loosen slightly.

Last weekend was her First Holy Communion. I begged her to pull it before Church. Wanted to rid her mouth of that grimy thing for the photos! Before we went into church, her girl friend told her to “just pull it out.” And guess what – she did. Right then & there. Wonders what kind of power friends have over parents! Scary too.

Saturday night, she put her tooth under her pillow and YES, the tooth fairy came. (leaving a note that said she had been waiting for that tooth to FINALLY come out!)

Last night I was called by daddy and some screams to come to K’s bedroom. She had blood on a Kleenex that she was using against her mouth. It was her top right canine tooth -which had started to stick straight out because of the way the tooth underneath pushed it. She was just rubbing her tongue up against the rough edge of her new front teeth. This time she pushed too far & pushed her canine tooth even looser! She FREAKED out. She knew she has her 6 month dentist appt on Thursday and said she wished she could go see the dentist right now. Said she wanted to be put out while he took her tooth out! I said it was barely hanging on and to just pull it out. Then she made me pinky swear that I would never try to pull her teeth out. And asked me to pinky swear for daddy – but I told her I couldn’t do that, she’ll have to talk to him. And I couldn’t help but laugh when she told me:
“I’m just not ready for this. It’s too soon.”
You mean it’s too soon from the time you lost your last tooth?
“Yes. And I’m never going to be able to eat again.”

I told her of course she would. And then made a compromise with her. If she could just calm down and get some rest, she needed to go to sleep, I would make her a fruit smoothy in the morning. That promise of a treat for breakfast seemed to work wonders. She went to sleep. And sure enough, the tooth is still dangling on this morning. We’ll see how long this one “hangs” on!