Worried about Keeping "Children's Teeth" in a Milk Tooth Case for Over 20 Years. Is it Really Necessary? What Should I Do?

The Dilemma of the "Milk Tooth Case"

Since purchasing a suitcase, I have been actively decluttering and minimizing my household space in preparation for studying abroad.

Whether it's a reaction to my childhood home, which was filled with belongings, or simply my preference for owning fewer things, I have been fairly successful in decluttering, except for my struggle to let go of one thing.

That thing is the "milk tooth case" where I store my childhood teeth that fell out. It has been tucked away in a small accessory box, similar to a cosmetic case, hidden in the corner.

However, the case I have is not like the trendy and adorable milk tooth cases that are tailored to each individual tooth. Instead, it is a small box resembling an accessory case, with small teeth inside.

My mother, who was well-versed in American culture, or rather, obsessed with Western movies and country-themed goods, probably knew about the Tooth Fairy tradition. She taught me that "milk teeth should be stored in a case."

Unfortunately, she never told me what to do with them when I grew up.

Certainly, now that I'm approaching 30, it's challenging to throw them away. Surprisingly, as I look at each tooth, memories flood back. I recall thoughts like, "It took a long time to extract this tooth because the root was deep," or "This is the tooth the dentist pulled out for me."

I have a feeling I wrote about losing teeth all the time in my childhood diaries, which I probably discarded when I left my parents' house.

Perhaps, rather than being presented with a gift from my parents when a tooth fell out, as I often read in blog articles nowadays, I remember because I personally put each tooth in the case right after it fell out.

During my childhood, when my teeth were falling out, I occasionally opened this case and felt a sense of pride in how hard I had worked to extract teeth with long roots.

Nowadays, that feeling is no longer there.

By the way, I considered the possibility of future reuse, such as in iPS cell research, but it seemed that immediate proper disposal was necessary.

Alternatives to Storing Teeth in a Milk Tooth Case

During my elementary school days, envy grew in me as I heard stories from friends who lived in houses, throwing their teeth onto the roof.

Recently, when I asked around, one person said they threw their teeth from the rooftop of the apartment building they lived in.

There is a possibility that little children's teeth fell on the heads of people living below or walking on the street. Now, looking back, I think it might have been better for me to follow that approach and avoid this dilemma as an adult.

Moreover, some people may have accidentally swallowed their teeth while sleeping (or so they thought). Perhaps the Tooth Fairy took the teeth that were lying near their pillows.

What Happens to Children's Teeth in Malaysia?

While listening to the stories of my Japanese friends, I became curious about the customs regarding fallen children's teeth in Malaysia, considering that countries like the United States and Europe have the Tooth Fairy tradition. I decided to look it up.

I searched in Japanese, but it seems that in Malaysia, when a child's tooth falls out, they bury it in the ground as a way to return it to the earth.

I wondered if there would be many children's teeth buried in vacant lots in residential areas. I felt tempted to dig a little to satisfy my curiosity without raising suspicions.

Advice to Those Considering a Milk Tooth Case: Insights from an Adult Child

As I have described so far, although I find it somewhat troublesome to handle, I believe keeping children's teeth in a milk tooth case is an interesting cultural practice that holds sentimental value for me.

However, for those considering a milk tooth case, it's important to clarify the purpose of keeping the teeth and to check if the child is comfortable with it. If the child doesn't want them, parents can still choose to preserve them as mementos.

I have kept my childhood teeth until now, even in my late twenties. My future husband (to be) was slightly taken aback and asked, "What do you keep them for?"

Nevertheless, they don't take up much space, and they are nostalgic items. Besides, there may come a time when dental technology allows for the regeneration of dry, brittle teeth like mine, or maybe my teeth can be used for experiments. So, I intend to postpone throwing away the milk tooth case for now.

Perhaps even when I become an 80-year-old wrinkled grandmother, I might still have them.

They might be discovered as "fossils of children's teeth from the 2000s stored in a small box" thousands of years from now.

That would be quite romantic.