How many teeth do you really need?

We in the Williams' household have been having teeth issues. Sure, isolated incidents may go unnoticed, but when several family members have cause to draw attention to the pearly whites inside their mouth, makes me stop and wonder! Some "toothy" developments are normal. Some are not.

Cute little Fisher at six months old (and a couple days) was breaking through with his 4th tooth. Like his older siblings, the first two that cut through were the two middle bottom teeth. He was four months old.

And then the next two that made their appearance were both eye teeth on the top. Makes him look like an old man or baby vampire. Too cute. We all get a good laugh at his expense until his front teeth come through (and they've started.)

Jake has been cutting molars (I imagine 18 month or 2 year molars - who knows what they are called), but that would explain why he has been waking in the night more frequently and doesn't seem to have an ear infection. (Also translates to tired, groggy mom and cranky toddler.) I don't even remember when the older ones cut their molars. Which too me says it was uneventful. Gratefully they are coming in straight and are pretty white. And lately he like to show them off. In his limited vocabulary, he has learned to say "cheese" and does so often while handing me my phone. My other kids pretended to talk on my cell phone. :)

Now Corbin. A few days before his 7th birthday we sat (a.k.a pacing the halls) during church listening to Corbin cry. His tooth hurt. Now, if you recall the last time his tooth hurt, he ended up looking like a chipmunk who got in a fight. He had to have his abcessed tooth pulled and now has a spacer. As a mom who is trying to learn from past lessons, I thought it best to have it checked out sooner than later. And as blessings go, the oral surgeon is in our ward so I was waiting until the break so he could peak in Corbin's mouth before his face blew up like a balloon. Turns out he had a ruptured cyst due to his 6-year molars trying to break through unsuccessfully. Apparently if the tooth needs "help," he can have a cut made in his gums. So far, only one has come through, but he's no longer in pain and gives us a status update daily on his tooth progress.

Drew, Drew, Drew...I wish he came with 9 sets of teeth like cats come with 9 lives. It's a good thing he's cute and full of personality because that's the only way he can pull off this toothless grin. He's down four teeth, (barely turned four), and knocked one more loose last week.

I can't even try to prevent the damage. He and I were running from preschool to the car on the sidewalk. Who knows what he tripped on, or why he landed on his face, but it's his trademark. He and concrete just do not get along. First loss was when he was two and faceplanted on the concrete by jumping off the trampoline into Corbin's waiting arms. Tooth #2 and #3 fell out shortly after that due to the same incident. Tooth #4 held on for quite some time. It took several injuries, each time knocking it loose a little bit more. Dangling fang. The mean old dentist told me to just pull it. He said it wasn't "adding anything asthetically." After Drew told Brandon to push it back in because it was so wiggly, he finally pulled it himself and handed the tooth to grandma while visiting in Idaho a couple months ago. I think we still have two more years before any permanent teeth start coming in. Still might be too soon if he plans to keep them through adulthood.

And then I have my own mouth full of issues. Five years ago I crashed on my mountain bike going way too fast downhill trying to keep up with the fellas. (I know, I know, apples don't fall far from the tree.) Anyway, I suffered severe nerve damage in my jaw. The dentist told me I may have to have a root canal, but I told him I'd wait and see. I've definitely struggled with toothaches and parts of my tooth that keep breaking off, but I made it five years longer than expected!!! I had a root canal in the fall and now I'm waiting for my permanent crown. Five days to go and my tooth broke again!

Coincidence???? Maybe. Maybe not. Perhaps I should start looking for deeper meaning. :) Or get better dental insurance. In the meantime, I wonder if they make bridges for 4-year olds.