Tooth Time!

Ray has lost three teeth.  And each and every one has hung in there by the final thread until the adult tooth literally pushes it out of the way.  (Which makes for crooked adult teeth growing in!)  He won't let anyone pull at them.  So when he came into our bedroom Saturday morning wiggling his most recent loose tooth and allowed even allowed Michael to wiggle it, I thought, "Here we go again...  Another crooked tooth!"

When Michael wiggled it and commented, "That tooth is coming out today," Ray's eyes got huge and I thought, "Even if it was, it's not now."

I asked Ray if he would like me to try pulling it.  He clasped his jaw tight.  Michael assured him, again, loosing a tooth doesn't hurt.  It feels different, but it doesn't hurt because the nerve endings are all severed.  Ray didn't seem to care or believe him.  Then I asked if he'd like to pull it himself with the aid of a remote control car.  I knew it was a long shot, but worth asking.  Imagine my surprise when he agreed and ran to find one!

While Ray made his car selection, I got a string of dental floss ready.  Ray settled on Toy Story rocket ship and I carefully tied a knot around his loose tooth (easier said than done by the way!).  WAIT!  I want this on video!  I handed the floss off to Michael so nothing would happen while I ran for the iPod to record Ray's bravery.  I was walking into the room and about to give the all clear when Sam came flying between Michael and Ray.  He reached up, yanked the string and POP!  "My tooth!"

Amazingly my knot held and there was Ray's tiny tooth hanging from the floss in Michael's hand.  Ray's look of horror changed to one of amusement as he started laughing and said, "You were right Dad!  It didn't hurt at all!"

Of course I managed to miss all of it on video.  One might have thunk to at least take a picture or two after the fact, but I botched that too.  Sigh.  Oh well.  Maybe next loose tooth!