Too Many Teeth

So, I have a dentist's appointment today. No physical pain or discomfort this time, just a consultation. It turns out, I need to have my 3 remaining wisdom teeth out. I'm a little disappointed. I honestly thought these teeth may make it the whole way. They were hanging on for so long, I just assumed that, in my later years, I'd have a 3-tooth advantage over most of my contemporaries. Other than a pie-eating contest, I'm not sure how that could help, but it's nice to know when you have an edge.

I'm not going to lie. Losing my wisdom teeth will be a little emotional. They're like a part of me. I'll always remember that special moment when I realized I had developed them. I was attempting to eat a chunk of peanut brittle. It's so tasty, but I just couldn't crack through it with my original set of teeth. It was then that I shifted the treat back further into my mouth, where I decided to use these new teeth (the wisdom teeth) for the first time. Each bite was more rewarding than the previous bite. At that moment, I realized I was no longer a child whose back molars had to do all the work; I was a man with wisdom, and my wisdom teeth had my back molars' back.

Most of my friends have already had their wisdom teeth removed. I think I was a late bloomer, because I can still clearly recall the days when my friends would eat peanut brittle in front of me. I was left with easier-to-chew-through treats like cotton candy or wheat germ. There was probably I time when I considered "stuffing my mouth" to trick people into thinking I had wisdom teeth. Eventually, they grew in, and my parents brought me to the store to buy my first training-peanut brittle.

Now, I'm happy the wisdom teeth came in a little late, because I've been able to hold on to them for a long time. I'm sorry they won't be coming along with me for the rest of this journey we call life. If anything, I'm hoping the teeth left me with the proper wisdom to figure out how to eat peanut brittle without them. If so, the circle of life will all make sense to me again. All good things must come to an end, and, after my appointment today, I will know exactly when they're coming out.