Losing a 1st tooth is a major milestone. Adult teeth want to come through, so the baby teeth need to go. It’s also another sign for a parent that time goes by so fast and my babies are getting bigger by the second. Excuse me while I go cry.

Ok I’m back. Enough about me, let’s talk about ‘J’s experience losing his first tooth.

One day when I was picking him up from school last year, a boy, also in Kindergarten, was leaving a little early with his mom because he had lost a tooth. That was the moment where I thought “oh my goodness, is this when they start losing teeth?!”

That night, I started talking to ‘J’ about losing his baby teeth. Explaining to a sensory kid that his teeth were going to fall out, did not go over well. At that point, none of his teeth were loose and we left it alone.

Now in 1st grade, most of his friends are showing up to class displaying their new toothless smiles daily. ‘J’s’ bottom two teeth have been a little wiggly for awhile and he would fall asleep sometimes wiggling them. Until it got too real. Once they got looser, he realized this was going to happen soon and he was not happy about it. He didn’t want us checking them, he didn’t want to wiggle them anymore and teeth brushing became more of a battle. For about a week one tooth was barely hanging on, and although he had fears of swallowing it in his sleep, he didn’t want us to get it out either.

The other day, as he was playing in the morning, he started crying and freaking out. His tooth had basically come out, but was now laying on top of his gum. He was so scared, didn’t want us to go near him, was talking without opening his mouth. I was trying everything and by everything, I mean bribes.

Want to watch a YouTube show you don’t get to watch often?

How about lunch at McD’s?

Nothing was working. Out of no where, he had been sitting on the floor, climbed up on the couch, looked at me and started crying hysterically. And I knew why.

I told him to try to breathe and stay still, had him open his mouth and got the tooth out from under his tongue. He continued to cry for a few minutes after. He looked at himself in the mirror and cried some more because he looked different. He worried about what other people would think of him missing a tooth, sad that the baby tooth was gone and wishing he was still a baby so he didn’t have to lose teeth. All was heartbreaking to watch and a hard experience for him to go through. Not to mention his 4 year old sister may be a bit traumatized having witnessed weeks of turmoil regarding this tooth.

Days later, he’s feeling better and getting more used to his new look. The neighboring tooth is ready to go, so I think his second experience will be happening sooner rather than later.

Sensory kids feel things a lot more than other kids. Their senses are heightened and what may seem like a fun milestone to someone, may not be to another. This is similar to other challenges on a day to day basis. What may be easy for one person, may be a struggle for another. It’s important to remember to have patience and understanding for any individual’s experience.