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AIBU?

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Original poster

AIBU to refuse my mother-in-law keeping my daughter's first tooth?

157 replies

GalileoFigaro · 01/09/2026 18:46

DD just turned 7 has a wobbly tooth. Her first one.
My smother in law said that she was going to pull it out for her when she next saw her AND she was going to keep it in her little box where she has all her 3 children's milk teeth.

AIBU to say no she isn't? I feel that the tooth shouldn't be pulled and will fall out when it's good and ready. Also I'd quite like to keep my own child's tooth as a keepsake (a lot of mums do that, right?

AIBU and being precious or is MiL overstepping?

OP posts:
Namechangewegovyjune26 · 02/09/2026 01:13

GalileoFigaro · 01/09/2026 20:07

I was a bit concerned that she was late losing her milk teeth and consulted with the dentist. Aparrently her adult teeth need more space to come through and they discussed her possibly wearing an aparatus/ brace to widen her mouth a bit. Hopefully with this one being wobbly, it'll fall out and she won't need any intervention.

I do think teeth are gross tbh but having seen those little tinket boxes to store them, I thought keeping them was common. I'm not a psycho, I promise!

Show quote history

It is common - but TBH even if you were going to bin it I still advise you to say no to MIL!!

Agree don’t let her see her until the tooth is out and explain why.

JustJoinedRightNow · 02/09/2026 01:09

Anyone seen the show (or read the book) Sharp Objects? Teeth are put to good use there...

YankSplaining · 02/09/2026 00:00

Re: keeping teeth and creepiness: I can’t remember the details, but once there was this American murder case where a decomposed body was identified because the guy’s mother had kept his baby teeth, and DNA from the corpse matched DNA from some dried blood on one baby tooth.

YANBU, OP.

2kidswelshmum · 01/09/2026 23:07

WingBingo · 01/09/2026 19:35

Now I think about it, the collection of teeth I have in a jewellery box now seems weird.

Im so easily influenced by MN.

Haha same here 🤭 my eldest has only lost one tooth so far and I’ve kept it in a little box because I just thought that’s what I’m supposed to do 🤣? I haven’t looked at it since. But it is weird now I think about it? Same with their first lock of hair from their haircuts. I was handed a little envelope containing my youngest first lock of hair at his first hair cut and just sort of thought, oh, I’m meant to keep this am I? Is this what us parents do? Okkk then…

Deadringer · 01/09/2026 22:59

I have 5 dc and kept all of their teeth! Mil never asked for any of them though.

namechangeformeeee · 01/09/2026 22:51

mindutopia · 01/09/2026 18:48

She absolutely will not be is right. It’s weird she still has their teeth! I obviously am saving all of my dc’s but one day, they will be gifted them and can do what they want with them. I’m not saving them to cast spells later in life. 😂

Edited

They will be gifted them?!

WaverleyOwl · 01/09/2026 22:49

Clearly I'm a serial killer as I have the few baby teeth that my mum kept for me, and a full set of each of my kids' teeth - even the ones that had to get pulled by a dentist.

I also have their umbilical chord stumps.

I am autistic, though, so maybe that explains it!

It just feels wrong to bin something that was so important to them.

lucya66 · 01/09/2026 22:49

Haha my mum kept mine and my sisters teeth. I don’t know why but i think I’d also keep my daughters.

Minasama · 01/09/2026 22:49

No one should pull your daughter’s tooth except a qualified dentist. And mil does not get to keep the tooth unless neither you, your husband or your daughter want it.

WerewolfOfLoudon · 01/09/2026 22:46

fishonabicycle · 01/09/2026 18:50

Keeping teeth is creepy whoever does it - serial killer vibes.

Edited

Why are there boxes to keep the first tooth as well as the first hair cut in baby keepsake chests then? No one is forcing you to keep it.

People have DNA kits for their children too.

EverMerge · 01/09/2026 22:45

GalileoFigaro · 01/09/2026 18:46

DD just turned 7 has a wobbly tooth. Her first one.
My smother in law said that she was going to pull it out for her when she next saw her AND she was going to keep it in her little box where she has all her 3 children's milk teeth.

AIBU to say no she isn't? I feel that the tooth shouldn't be pulled and will fall out when it's good and ready. Also I'd quite like to keep my own child's tooth as a keepsake (a lot of mums do that, right?

AIBU and being precious or is MiL overstepping?

I’d say it’s yours if you want it but if you even try to remove it I’ll remove all of yours!

Honestly I kept my kids until dh asked me if I was planning to make a necklace with them! Realised it was super creepy and threw them out. No regrets!

Kerri126 · 01/09/2026 22:45

DS swallowed his first tooth, it came out as he was eating a banana, he didn’t notice until he saw blood on the banana - couldn’t find it anywhere so there was only one place it could have gone and I sure as hell wasn’t going to be retrieving it from the bog. Tooth Fairy accepted a note as evidence.

Now he gives them a good inspection, then they go in the bin once I’ve coughed up the cash (we don’t bother with TF anymore) as they look manky once they’ve dried out. I’ve never heard of anyone keeping baby teeth, the idea of it makes me queasy.

Edit for a typo

Sahara123 · 01/09/2026 22:40

mindutopia · 01/09/2026 18:48

She absolutely will not be is right. It’s weird she still has their teeth! I obviously am saving all of my dc’s but one day, they will be gifted them and can do what they want with them. I’m not saving them to cast spells later in life. 😂

Edited

If I’d presented my adult children with all their teeth they would’ve thought I’d completely lost the plot ! How revolting. I didn’t keep any of them fortunately for them.

AFigureWalks · 01/09/2026 22:37

It’s weird of MIL, but then I kept my DCs’ baby teeth in a little box and the cat found them and ate most of them. I am
relieved as I was unsure as to what to do with them for the rest of my life.

50Balesofgrey · 01/09/2026 22:34

Warn her that if she does that the tooth fairy will come for her, take all her teeth and leave her a fiver.

Myplantsmyrules · 01/09/2026 22:32

Why does she think she's more important than your dd's own parents?

Anon501178 · 01/09/2026 22:24

YADNBU!
I got really upset when we somehow lost our eldest daughter's first tooth (think it accidentally got washed down the drain!)
Luckily I then realised the 2nd one that came out was actually the first one which came in, and we kept that one, so do still have her actual first ever tooth! 😂

Zaza2020 · 01/09/2026 22:09

Tooth goes to the toothfairy? No... !!

RumPidgeon · 01/09/2026 21:46

ToKittyornottoKitty · 01/09/2026 18:52

Glad it’s not just me who thinks like this 😅

Show quote history

Well then Mum is as weird as MIL.

I definitely would tell MIL not to pull the tooth out under any circumstances but you’re as weird as her keeping your kids‘ tooth. As long as it pleases you I guess 😂 Just don’t diss your MIL if you want it yourself.

ReadingSoManyThreads · 01/09/2026 21:45

OrangeSlices998 · 01/09/2026 19:37

Keeping teeth is so fucking weird, do you also keep hair and nails? 🤢

Hair and nails continually grow though, not the same at all.

I'm clearly an in the closet serial killer though with my children's milk teeth in my top drawer 😈

mondaytosunday · 01/09/2026 21:41

I wouldn’t let her pull it but frankly keeping their teeth is gross so if my mil wanted my kids’ teeth (something I couldn’t imagine considering her general disinterest) than she’d be welcome to them!

Wiiiiiiillllllmaaaaaa · 01/09/2026 21:39

Fuck me, she’s strange.

All my children’s teeth went in the bin.

PhoebeBuffay1234 · 01/09/2026 21:35

fishonabicycle · 01/09/2026 18:50

Keeping teeth is creepy whoever does it - serial killer vibes.

Edited

When I used to do the tooth fairy, I used to hot foot it back into bed and stick my kids’ under the bed base. Guess what I found when it was recently moved for decorating?!! It freaked me out and I knew whose they were!🤣🤣

Blueblell · 01/09/2026 21:32

What about the tooth fairy?

comedycentral · 01/09/2026 21:32

Hang on, we're meant to keep their teeth? 😲

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