Who’s Afraid of the Tooth Fairy?
Published at Sacred Matters on June 5, 2015.
Eventually, she cajoles me into offering a second opinion on a tooth’s looseness. I carefully put my fingers in her mouth and gently push her tooth. I flinch visibly. Loose teeth are not my least favorite component of motherhood, but they come close. Teeth are the stuff of my nightmares. Since I was a child, I’ve had recurring dreams in which all my teeth fall out. Sometimes, I lose them gradually, but in other dreams, I open my mouth and all my teeth rain down. Unsurprisingly, I watch my daughter in abject horror as each tooth comes out of her mouth. Previously rooted into her gums, the tooth is now in her hand. Blood and viscera follow. I shudder. My kid laughs about overblown reactions to something as small and insignificant as a tooth.