Mind the gap (tooth smile) - with free printable tooth fairy receipt

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I'm worried. Really worried.

Tricky is getting to a certain age. It's happening to all his friends, and will soon be happening to him.

No, we're not talking puberty, he'll be LOSING TEETH!

Which means... GAP TOOTH SMILES.

Insert screaming and hysterical crying here. No, not his. Mine.

OK so maybe I exaggerate slightly, but while I can handle wobbly teeth (and remember terrorizing my own family by wiggling them around all over the place), I am not a fan of the resultant gap tooth smile.

There I said it.

I don't think it's cute. I think it's completely and utterly gross.

I can only assume this extreme dislike for lost teeth comes from my own journey to gapdom which started when I was a wee babe. My parents put me to bed every night with a bottle of juice or cordial or crystal meth or something like that, and I developed cavities which led to abscesses. Serious stuff. Stuff you should avoid at all costs by taking your kids to a great kids dentist in Perth (or your own city, duh).

So at the ripe old age of two, my two front teeth were surgically removed and thus started the singing of "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth". Again and again and again. The tune can be cute once or twice. But let me tell you, the novelty wears off when it is sung to you for FIVE FREAKING YEARS.

Somewhat related: I actually talk differently to most people because I learned most of my words with my teeth missing, meaning I didn't get the temporary lisp that a lot of kids get when their two front teeth come out and leave a massive gap for their tongue to poke through. Mad skills.

Anyhow, back to what I was talking about. GAPS. I'll put on my best happy face, suck it up and be ready with my pom poms when Tricky gets his first wobbly tooth, and start figuring out exactly how he's going to lose those suckers that wobble for weeks but just don't wanna go.

According to Dr David Beecham, principal dentist at Aim Dental (also known as the dude that gave MapGuy his smile back - more on that another day), the old methods that you and I might have used to remove our wobbly teeth are now considered terribly naff by today's average five to seven year olds. And he would know, because his miniature clients tell him every day.

Here's what is in and what is out:

Three of those are just moving with the times, really. Tooth to string to door explodes in to the 21st century with tooth to string to something with three packets of batteries. But I'm not sure about the Nerf technique. Are we tying the tooth to the bullet or knocking it by firing bullets at kid's faces? Because NOTHING COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG THERE!

Tricks got a drone for Christmas (OMG who gives their five year old a drone? We do. These idiots over here) so I think we're going to have to go with the top ranking quad copter method. Keep an eye on YouTube, OK?

Despite my fear, I created two free printable tooth fairy receipts for you. Because I'm so giving, obvs. If you click the image below, you can download a sheet of three that you can print at home on an A4 page then cut up.

(Note to self: don't close editing program between versions or they'll end up slightly different sizes and annoy you SO MUCH).

I'm going to keep the filled out receipts in a scrap book that I'll probably never look through again, and throw out the teeth or donate them to the spray can factory... because that's not a myth, right? Or apparently you can also pay a shed load of money to have them cryogenically frozen for their stem cells. Nifty, but a little out of my price range.

If you use these I'd love it if you'd put a pic online and tag me :) I'm @glowless on Instagram 

You can also check 5 ways to avoid costly dental treatments for your kids over at Aim Dental.

Tell me your tooth stories - do you love the gap smile? Or do you hate it and want your child to wear a flipper like the kids on Tantrums and Tiaras? 

Top 5 Dos and Do Nots of Your Child's First Dentist Visit

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I've now seen two children through their first dental visits, which in blogger terms means I'm now qualified to tell you how to attempt it with your own children. HA! But rather than just take my quasi-tips as gospel, I've actually teamed up with a Perth Kids Dentist, Aim Dental, to let you guys in on some of the insider info from a dentist and a mum perspective on everything from first visits, losing baby teeth and more.

The aim (see what I did there?) is that a first dentist visit for kids should be a predominantly positive experience and there are a few things you can do to help that:

Do NOT

1. Show them that dentist scene in Willy Wonka. You know the one? Where Willy has gigantic braces on, isn't allowed to eat lollies and is abandoned by his dentist father. That one. Yeah, maybe skip that.
2. Show your fear. Are you afraid of the dentist? I can relate, I wouldn't say I'm scared, but I'm definitely not waving any pom poms. Hide it. Bottle it up. In the words of Elsa, "conceal, don't feel, don't let them know". Kids are like dogs, they can smell your fear, try not to transfer your fear to them.
3. Give your kids sugary fizzy drinks and sugary food. You'd think that was a given, but it's not. 41.8% of 5-6 year olds in WA have dental decay in their baby teeth, and 39.6% of 12 year olds have decay in their adult teeth, mostly due to a combination of fizzy drinks, sugary treats and not brushing properly. 
4. Let your kids brush their own teeth. Little kids can't brush properly by themselves, so you'll have to do it for them. Research shows that some kids will need help up until they are ten.
5. Freak out if they cry, scream, refuse to get on the chair, or refuse to open their mouth! A great kids dentist will have a longer appointment booked for a first go, and will work with you and your child to get the job done, but the calmer you stay, the better.

Tricky's been before, but Bobbin's first dental visit went better than anyone hoped

DO:

1. Brush their teeth twice a day! Try your hand over theirs if they want to do it at the same time. Tricky and Bobbin take turns with us - Mum or Dad do it first, then they get to have a go. 
2. Read some books about first dentist visits. My two loved Peppa Pig's trip to the dentist where George is scared. You can also hit up YouTube for some first dentist vids but pre-watch them because some are just weird. The image above shows the titles we read in the weeks and days leading up to Bobbin's first visit last month.
3. Find a Perth dentist who is great with kids - Aim Dental is really focussed on making kids feel relaxed. From the toy box in the waiting room while they fill out their own super cute client forms (OMG it's adorable), to the funky glasses and cool cartoons on the screen while they are in the chair (never bloody had that when I first went!), and a goodie bag with a new toothbrush at the end of their first visit, it makes for a pleasant and tear-free experience. Just look at my two! They even had a professional clean - all for the grand price of NOTHING with no gap kids dental with our health fund.
4. Brush and floss your own teeth in front of the kids - it might mean brushing well before your own bedtime and having to do it again, but seeing that you do it too and aren't just forcing them to do it can be really beneficial. 
5. Reward their first trip to the dentist with something that isn't food! A trip to the park, a picnic, bowling, half an hour on the iPad, whatever they like! 

Just look at those pearly whites!

Now that it's over... book in the next visit for six months time.

For more details from actual professional people, check out Aim Dental's 5 things to do to get your child ready for their first dental visit.