Question: How many baby teeth do I need to keep?

[deleted account]

Do you have a garden? How about burying them in the garden and planting a tree over the top. There's a tree called Salvadora Persica who's twigs are used as toothbrushes (apparently they have microbacterial properties or something) or just plant something with fruit. If you do it with your son its nice for him to have a tie to the land. Then you have a nice memory and no spare body parts to store :)

Belinda - posted on 04/13/2012

Wow I'm surprised at how many of you keep your children's teeth, I don't know of anyone that does. My children leave their's out for the tooth fairy and yes I throw them away, I guess for me I don't really see the point if keeping them.

Vicki - posted on 04/13/2012

My Mom kept my teeth and at one point, they actually came in handy! I was walking across the street to a friend's house and suddenly I realized that my tooth had fallen out, but it could have been anywhere between my house and theirs. We looked *everywhere* for it. I was getting really upset thinking that we wouldn't find it, and then my Mom comes out our front door saying that she found it and shows me a tooth. I was so relieved at the time because I needed that tooth for the Tooth Fairy! Many years later she confessed that she had pulled out one of my old teeth and played it off like it was the one I had just lost!

She also later gave me all of my old teeth, which I thought was a little gross. I've been keeping my oldest daughter's teeth, but I'm not sure what I'll do with them in the long run.

Bonnie - posted on 04/12/2012

I have a 5.5 year old and a 3.5 year old so no loose teeth yet, but when the time comes, I think we will probably just keep one. I don't really see a point in keeping more than that.

Cayla - posted on 06/07/2015

My 15 year old just spent two nights with a girl who i just found out says she is bi sexual. My daughter has always been boy crazy. Is this something for me to go nuts over? Could this be just influence? What does your experience tell you? Can anyone help me?

Margaret - posted on 01/13/2014

The creep factor finally got to me and I gave them all a decent burial in my houseplant. Calcium for my geranium, and my baby's teeth live on!

Nikki - posted on 04/15/2012

I am not overly sentimental, the thought of having teeth in a jar creeps me out a little. But each to their own, keep as many or as little as you feel comfortable with.

Melinda - posted on 04/15/2012

I have a 17 year old and a 9 year old. I kept all of my 17 year old's teeth in an old film container. My 9 year old does not know I have her brother's baby teeth. From the time she lost her first tooth she refused to put it under her pillow for the tooth fairy, she wanted to keep it. Her first 3 teeth she lost she would write a note to the tooth fairy asking to please let her keep it and the tooth fairy let her. After that she did not even write notes anymore. She would just get the film container and put her teeth in it.

[deleted account]

I'm a bad mother, I didn't keep any teeth. :D Seriously, don't feel you are required to keep any at all if you don't want to. I only have my one child and can't have any more and my memories and photos are what I need. I keep his baby shirt from the hospital and a pressed flower he 'picked' for me at a year old.

Our Tooth Fairy was modeled after Mary the Fairy from the TV show Bewitched. YOu left the tooth on the dining room table next to a glass of brandy for Mary the Fairy. One time the tooth accidentally went down the drain. We left Mary a note and offered an extra large brandy instead.

(for those who are getting confused on the brandy, seriously go watch the Bewitched episodes)

Bonnie - posted on 04/15/2012

Kristen, I kind of find it hysterical that you find something as simple as this hysterical. You obviously have not been around COMs much. It's just a question. Some are saying keep just one, some are saying keep all, and some are saying they don't keep any...what's the big deal? You are right, she doesn't have to keep any, but Kerri is wondering what others do, that is all.

Denise - posted on 04/15/2012

When my children's teeth fell out I put them in a big ceramic vase with lid and their cute little notes to the tooth fairy. They were 20 and 17 and I had moved the vase to the center of the table and had forgotten about their teeth. One of there girlfriends was over and for some reason opened up the lid and found the teeth. They all laughed hysterically that the tooth were in there all that time. The teeth are still there - not really sure what to do with them either.

Alexandra - posted on 04/14/2012

i will save everything.

Pamela - posted on 04/14/2012

Why do you feel it sad to toss away teeth that are no longer in use? I didn't keep any of my children's teeth. I did keep locks of baby hair which I put in their baby books, but that was it.

The only time I have ever heard of saving teeth was overnight for the "tooth fairy". That's a new one for me.

Reality - posted on 04/14/2012

Her question was how many do I need to keep there is one answer none - there is no rule or law that says you have to keep teeth - you all make me laugh! As a mom of 5....you have to keep none- what you choose to keep and it do with them is up to you - thanks for making my day with this!!! Hysterical!

Terrie - posted on 04/14/2012

I kept all the ones my son didn't swallow, but you are not alone in thinking it is gross as many parents feel like you do. You don't see to many children ask about their baby teeth when they get older so it is totally up to you whether or not you want to keep any at all. This is more for the mother than the child. Some parents are more sentimental than others and keep everything their child does. starting from birth. I started out doing that, but my son has special needs. We had first things from surgeries, We have his first shave from a major surgery he had on his head. He started school at age three and I started keeping art work but then I realized by Kinder that I was going to be over run with paper. So I just started picking a select few. I already have to keep a big book of all that is going on with him and drag it to every appointment. Yeah, just do what you want. I do have all my son's teeth that he didn't swallow but being Autistic I highly dought he is going to ask about them so it is really for me not for him. If you think teeth or gross don't feel like a bad mommy.

Reality - posted on 04/14/2012

None

Teresa - posted on 04/14/2012

my kids are 18 and 17 and I kept every baby tooth that came out ! hehehe
I didnt date them or anything, they are just in a little bag but I couldnt throw them away!

Donna Reed - posted on 04/13/2012

I keep them all other then the one my daughter swallowed!

Celeste - posted on 04/13/2012

We saved them until my daughter was in 5th grade when she used them in her science project. Then we threw them away after the science fair was over.

Robin - posted on 04/13/2012

I have a friend who has her daughters teeth made into a "pearl" and will have it strung.

Fiona - posted on 04/13/2012

I have 5 children and so far have kept all their teeth that has fallen out - don't know why just a momento. It is totally up to you what you do with them. But have them someplace where you don't see them everyday.

Cheryl - posted on 04/13/2012

You only have 20 Baby teeth...........not 32, those are adult teeth.

Christal - posted on 04/13/2012

My daughter is 3 and hasnt lost teeth yet but i do plan on keeping at least her 1st one. To me its like keeping her umbilical cord (which i have) and when i cut her hair down the road for the first time i will keep that too.

Patricia - posted on 04/13/2012

I HAVE KEPT THREE OF EACH CHILD'S TEETH. i DON'T THINK IT'S GROSS AT ALL.
i POLISHED THEM AND PUT THEM IN A CLEAR CONTAINER AND GAVE THEM TO THE KIDS WHEN THEY TURNED 16. THEY ALL LOVED THE IDEA AND WERE GLAD I HAD KEPT THEM.

Erin - posted on 04/13/2012

No loose teeth yet... My boys are 4yo and 2yo. I do plan on keeping all of their teeth. My mom had a jar that she kept all of mine in. Eventually she donated them (I think) to a cancer research program. I'm not sure what the program needed the teeth for, but I do like to think that because my mom didn't just toss them away that I've helped someone beat cancer down the road. Maybe that's an idea that you can try. Contact a hospital (doctors would be more likely to know of research programs) and see if you can donate your child's teeth.

Bryndís - posted on 04/13/2012

I still have the babyteeth from my 17 year old :) And my 11 year old is losing his teeth and I am also keeping them :) I just put them in a small glass jar and keep it closed up in a cupboard :)

Jo - posted on 04/13/2012

I keep all of the baby teeth, because I heard that they can be used for stem cell if ever the need arises.

Susan - posted on 04/13/2012

None! Lol. Reminds me of an actor I heard once that had his baby's umbilical cord stump gold plated and wore it around his neck on a chain.

Nikki - posted on 04/12/2012

I keep my kids teeth in prescription bottles with name & date they lost it. I have no idea what I will do with them in the future. I think as Moms we all do our goofy things like saving teeth and hair from 1st haircut. I say to each his own! :-)

Elfrieda - posted on 04/12/2012

When I was growing up we didn't do the Tooth Fairy, but I had a little tupperware pill container that I would put each tooth in as it fell out. I'd look at them sometimes and feel proud of how grown-up I was! Just recently I found them again and threw them out. You could just give them to him and he can deal with them.

Cherie - posted on 04/12/2012

As you can see there are many different answers to this question. My answer is how many do you want to keep? It is so up to you. I started keeping them and I had a little felt drawstring bag to keep them in but it became kind of silly to my way of thinking as, what was I going to do with a bag of baby teeth? There really is no right or wrong answer to your question. Just have fun playing tooth fairy and enjoy each stage of your child's life. They go by way too fast to worry about inconsequential things.

Sherri - posted on 04/12/2012

I don't save any. The tooth fairy doesn't take their teeth she leaves them for them. So if my kids choose to hang on to them they do.

~♥Little Miss - posted on 04/12/2012

It makes me sad that any of you would throw them out!!! For me, I am really sentimental about this kind of stuff. It will be the last physical thing that I have of my childs baby hood. I will keep them all proudly, and show them when they are older. They will enjoy seeing it. It is not like it takes up space.

Iridescent - posted on 04/12/2012

I have them all so far in empty pill bottles labeled with their names. I've seen some cool tooth jewelry made on etsy, but I think it's rather morbid, too. I have no idea what I'll do with them.

Brittney - posted on 04/12/2012

My mom has all of my baby teeth, she put them in an old pill bottle and put them in my baby box. I think it is kinda gross to keep them, but I think if you have to keep the first one that fell out.

Louise - posted on 04/12/2012

Just one is fine or you are going to have up to 32 teeth in a drawer somewhere. Yuck!

I have my sons teeth in a tiny pot with there hospital tags from when they were born.