So, the blogging prompt from the Ultimate Blog Challenge stated to write something that came in fours. Some of the suggestions were interesting, but the one about four wisdom teeth intrigued me the most. Why? Because Laura was born without ANY of her wisdom teeth! WHAAAAAAT???
Yes, that’s right…I was born without wisdom teeth. According to scientists, it’s not as rare as you think! 35% of the American population doesn’t have wisdom teeth, with the other 65% having one to four wisdom teeth. Does that mean I’m not wise? No, but it DOES save a surgery and quite a bit of money. My oldest only had two wisdom teeth, while my middle child had all four. They are a bit pricey to have removed. The dentist seems to think that my youngest has enough room for his wisdom teeth, but we won’t know for sure until they start coming in. Praying he doesn’t have to have surgery.
It was probably Divine Intervention that I didn’t have the wisdom teeth. My mouth was so small that my baby teeth didn’t want to fall out willingly, had to be pulled, so my adult teeth had to grow over them. I had to have a few adult teeth pulled to make room, so the reconstructive braces treatment they had to do would work. I had the headgear, the key, the rubber bands, ALL OF IT. I had a hard time chewing and I honestly felt like the monster from The Goonies movie. I wouldn’t laugh or show my teeth, covering my mouth or just keeping silent A LOT.
I was so fixated on teeth, that I developed a bias about people with missing or no teeth. I didn’t want to be like that, but I was. Ironically, after meeting my significant other, we talked for a long time before meeting. He was and is the kindest man I’ve ever met and I fell in love with him, deeply. He is losing his teeth, due to his disability, and I am no longer bothered by it. He hid it at first, but admitted his embarrassment. I’ve told him it doesn’t matter to me, at all, even though it bothers him greatly. God was dealing with me and my bias, which I am now embarrassed about previously having. It is amazing, how much people pre-judge a person who is losing their teeth. Please. Just. Don’t. Not everyone is a drug addict, folks. Please, ALWAYS be kind!
Laura, you’ve touched on an important aspect of living. Everyone wishes that some part of their body was different. That’s enough to keep us quiet about what we perceive as different from us about someone else.
And some people have more than four wisdom teeth, some little ones behind the larger ones that never make it to the surface.