A First!

Brandt lost his first tooth today.  He is seven and in second grade, and up until now, his teeth haven't shown any interest in falling out.  Two weeks ago, I noticed one of his front bottom teeth looked to be sort of poking outward.  Sure enough, it was loose.  I'm not sure Brandt had even noticed.  Not only was the baby tooth loose, the adult tooth pushing it up was already growing in and could be seen behind the baby one.  Woo hoo!

Unlike most children, Brandt did not really wiggle or worry his tooth at all.  He would play with it a bit with his tongue when I asked about it, but otherwise, he just left it alone to do its thing.  Kent and I would ask about it and want to wiggle it ourselves, but he would only open his mouth and let us see, never touch.  It has gotten looser and looser, and last night I asked him if he wanted me to take a bit of dental floss and get it out.  "No!" was his answer.

We didn't have to wait long, however.  This morning, Brandt came into Kent and announced, "Dad, I woke up and my tooth popped out, just like that!"  Indeed, it was just like that.  Brandt took the tooth to school to show his teacher and fellow classmates, and he has talked about what the Tooth Fairy is going to bring him.  Some months ago Brandt heard that the Tooth Fairy gives kids five dollars for a tooth (that would be $100 for baby teeth!)  Perhaps she does at other people's houses, but when she comes to our house, I wanted Brandt and Blythe to both understand that she only bring 50 cents.  This is twice as much as I got for a tooth when I was loosing them, but I realize inflation is a real thing, and I figure the Tooth Fairy is good for 50 cents.  Brandt also expected her to bring him a new toothbrush.  Kent and I discussed the merits of receiving a toothbrush.  I am all for good dental hygiene, and we do have a supply of extra toothbrushes, but I feel strongly that a toothbrush is not essential for every lost tooth (that's twenty brushes).  So for the first lost tooth, the Tooth Fairy will bring a toothbrush, but not thereafter.

I love the pictures of Brandt with a little gap in his smile, but because the tooth below/behind is already coming it, there isn't really a gaping hole.

I look at this picture and the tooth growing in behind Brandt's other teeth, 

and I see thousands of dollars of orthodontic work in our future.

His little tooth in a little ziploc baggie.