His tooth is gone.

He does not seem especially upset about it. Probably he knew it would happen. More than likely he has heard stories of cousins, who went through this rite of passage and came out the other side with bigger cuspids.

 

It was exciting, to his mom at least, when the first ones broke through. No doubt the news carried to half a dozen people, some in other states, that this boy now has a tooth.

 

Then they started to fall out. That was cause for celebration too. It even merited a photograph to chronicle the event. Plus there is the whole legend of the tooth fairy, and the swap of a dental fragment for a shiny dime.

 

It makes sense, really. Trying to smash a full set of permanent choppers in a toddler would be a tad crowded. Yet  baby teeth will not stand up to the task of chewing 75,000 meals over a lifetime. I also approve of the idea of them popping out randomly. The designer thought that one through. Imagine if it happened all at once in the middle of eating an ear of corn. The whole row of pearly whites would fall out like rain, incisors and kernels all over your lap. That would be embarrassing. There would be no discreet way to eat the pumpkin pie for dessert, being toothless and all.

 

It does cause minor inconveniences however. That chink diminishes his efficiency when chomping down on a Granny Smith. Still, it is temporary.

 

Perhaps you have read the book "One Morning in Maine" which describes all the rules and rituals surrounding this universal phenomenon. It helps to hear from other people who have been through it as well. 

 

Photo by Andy Sullivan

www.caringformarriage.org