Friday, February 15, 2008

Sunday Scribblings - Sleep or Teeth


This week there are two alternative prompts on SS. They're supposed to be things we don't usually write about, but since I often write about sleep (be it insomnia, dreams or just sleeping too much), I will write about teeth.

I could really write about both because do you know how some people grind their teeth while they're sleeping? I know someone who does. I don't think I do myself but then I'm sleeping and I can't really know. But teeth. Let's focus on teeth. Milk teeth. Wisdom teeth. Sweet tooth. Vampire teeth. Tooth Fairy.



Teeth are useful for chewing, talking and...biting. In fact I can't get past this association: teeth --> biting. Some things are good enough to bite. And while I was searching for a photo to illustrate the post, this baby came up and babies bite. They like to chew on anything, it's good to reduce the discomfort in their gums. They especially enjoy chewing on their mother's chins. Teething is usually a tough time for both parts. When finally the little teeth come out, they don't last long.

I've lost my milk teeth is all sorts of ways. Either by turning them around and around and around (I still remember that annoying feeling), or by falling off a couch and bumping into something...oh, there goes my tooth. Alternatively, my grandfather would tie a little string around the tooth and pull it out without mercy. It worked too. I didn't get any presents for the missing teeth. There was no tooth fairy in my family. I remember putting my tongue on the space the tooth had been and how the gum felt soft and sore. Yack.

I just hope the teeth I have now last very long.

More sleepy bites on Sunday Scribblings.

34 comments:

michelle said...

HA I love that photo - what a great one for the prompt "teeth". My 2-cents on teeth. I grind mine at night, my 6 month old neice is getting ready to get her first tooth, and someday I would love to have my teeth professionally whitened. They are fine now but I would just love pearly whites!

Anonymous said...

Grinding teeth. Nasty! I once pulled one out by tying one end of a string to it, and the other end to a door knob. I slammed the door and the knob came off!

Becca said...

Great photo! and perfect for the prompt.

Teething babies are a big pain all around!

Niall young said...

I think the Tooth Fairy has all your owings stashed away somewhere..maybe she's invested them in some multinational ..or perhaps propping up the ailing economy of a third world nation..do you realise that to claim back what the Tooth Fairy owes you could plunge some small struggling nation into recession?..perhaps that nation is Fairy Land..then you'll destroy the hopes of the entire world!...belive me..I'm telling the tooth!

Lilibeth said...

Looks like the baby would like to bite more than just a crib. He is not a happy little camper. ha ha.

Lucy said...

haha That photo is adorably funny!
Love this take on teeth! Because of you, I think I've been inspired to post about the tooth fairy! thanks! :)

kimananda said...

Hmmm...not looking forward to the teething bit! And did you really get some teeth pulled out that way? We were always threatened with this, but only in jest, it never really happened that way. Wasn't it horribly painful? I may however, grind my teeth when I sleep...I'll have to tape myself one evening and find out!

fb said...

I had to have a tooth pulled and have a gap at the moment...waiting for the so called dissolvable stitches to dissolve though.

And yes it really hurt

anthonynorth said...

I daren't grind my teeth any more - frightened they'd fall out.
Nice take on the prompt.

Devil Mood said...

Ladybug: Did you know you grind your teeth or did somebody else tell you? Be careful there, I've seen smiles that looked fluorescent ;)

Keith: LOL the knob came off!! Hey, I did that too, if I remember correctly, but it worked.

Becca: Thanks. I don't have one baby myself but I've witnessed some nasty tantrums ;)

Niall: lol I will file my claim, I don't care about the recession. I will get my rewards! I'll need cash to pay for dentures one day...

Lilibeth: I wonder if it's just teething or if there's hunger too.

Lucy: Oh great! Want to read that. Thanks.

Kim: No, it didn't hurt that much, when the tooth was already ready to come out. It saved a lot of trouble actually but I didn't like it.

FB: Oh I'm sorry. I'll need to have a wisdom tooth out soon and I'm not looking forward to that.

AnthonyNorth: Did you do it on purpose? I thought people did it unintentionally.

Tumblewords: said...

Darling photo!! Nice post! I remember when a little one chewed on my pinkie knuckle for several hours, a long time ago. He gripped it in his hands and gnawed til I wanted to cry. It's still tender...gotta love them little teethers. LOL

a mouthy irish woman? ridiculous! said...

amen to hanging onto the nashers! i'm kind of attached to them.

great post!

Natalie said...

Katie is teething. She got 4 at the same time!

come see me at my new address!
http://holychaos2.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

Well I did it. I did what I said I was thinking of doing...and you know how illusive thoughts of doing things are...usually never get done ;-)
Sunday Scribblings. Sleep. Actually could have done the mix since I grind my teeth when I sleep (and since you were wondering how you tell, it's this: time tells...you can see the wear, a bevelled look). I have to use a teeth guard...which I do some damage to as well!
So! Scribbling was fun. Thanks for the encouragement to pursue it! :-)

Violet said...

this makes me feel old! I don't remember much about loosing my milk teeth. I did have the tooth fairy though. I remember that. I'd put the tooth on a match box or under the pillow and there would be some money there the next day.
this baby is really funny.
I wonder why older people can be so rough. there was no need to force the tooth out, was there?
it would come out eventually for sure.

Unknown said...

devil, i write a lot about sleep too! if i did the post i would have cheated and written about it shamelessly and in detail!

proud of you for taking the challenge, and as usual bringing your special insight and wit to the topic...

Novel

Anonymous said...

Oh teeth...I've watched B deal with losing multiple teeth (mountain biking accident) and wow what I project building it back together. He's well equipped though!
That picture is very sweet...I wish going to the dentist was cheaper. I spent $600 in January alone--it kills me!
Enjoy your Sunday! :)

Anonymous said...

That guy is wide awake! And eating his crib! Love the shot.

Lilibeth said...

ah ah ah...you didn't read it well enough. I said they gave up their own room for him while they slept downstairs.

Anonymous said...

I loved that photo!

And your post speaks out.

snooze time, baby!

Devil Mood said...

Tumblewords: oh how sweet. I'm feeling a lot of baby-love right now :)

Heather Kathleen: So am I! Thanks for dropping by.

Holychaos: Oh the poor baby! I hope they come out fast :) I will visit you there!

MissAlister: Hey, well done! Did you enjoy it?

Violet: lol don't worry. It was a good thing that my grandfather pulled the teeth because I hated having it going round and round and never coming out.

Novel: heheh If I'd written about sleep I'd end up repeating myself endlessly and I'm tired of that ;)

Chrispito: It truly is expensive! Losing your teeth is a truly saturnine experience. I dream about that sometimes. People say it's the fear of getting old.;)

Colleen: He's hungry haha!

Lilibeth: I stand corrected!

Gautami: Thanks :)

Diane L said...

Love the photo! My sister & I were fighting as usual when I was loosing my milk teeth and she threw a rock at me, knocking out two lower front teeth that were about ready to come out. But the new ones came in a little crooked . . . heh, gives my mouth some character!

Teeth are a great Saturnine subject all right . . . :-D

Julie Kwiatkowski Schuler said...

Good luck having your wisdom tooth out, dm. I had all mine removed at once. I especially liked the anesthetic. It was the first and only time I was "put under". I had a hallucination that I was part of the pattern in the carpet during that time, which is especially odd as I was facing the ceiling.

Devil Mood said...

Neith, that's a bit of a violent fight! Ouch! But you're right about the character :)

Julie: Hmm, I may just go and take them out now that you mention that. ;) Perhaps you felt you were very close to the floor, so you were almost part of the carpet.

dharmabum said...

yes, its a good thing to hope that.

Meow (aka Connie) said...

Great post, and wonderful photo.

Hope you have been well, and enjoying life to it's fullest.

Sorry I haven't been dropping by much lately ...

Have a great week.

Take care, hugs, Meow

madelyn said...

that photo is just too cute!

and your grandfather and his string
made me cringe :)

no tooth fairy?

psht!

Devil Mood said...

Dharmabum: Very wise, uh? :)

Meow: Hi, good to 'see' you! Glad you liked the post. Enjoy yourself!

Madelyn: hehe cringe and hold on to your teeth, I say :)

Preeti Shenoy said...

hee hee--you described that feeling of lost tooth really well.
Sweet pic too!

Devil Mood said...

Thanks Preeti :)

x said...

i am still teething. my wisdom teeth are not entirely out yet, which makes me officially unwise.
Tooth fairies are not important. But did you have a dummy fairy -as in pacifier fairy? We had one when my son was little and she took away all the dummies one day. Shame really.

Devil Mood said...

Chloe: that's sweet, you're teething ;) Oh, it must've been a witch that too my dummies, not a fairy, because I really loved my dummies!

phish said...

would you believe it if i told you that i still hold on to some of my milk teeth.

Devil Mood said...

Phish: Noooo!