Say Cheese

I have one strange reoccurring dream. Or maybe it's more of a nightmare. Either way, I had it again last night. I dread waking up after it because I'm afraid to check and see if what my subconscious invented is reality. It never is, but still ... scaaary.

I'm usually talking to someone or reading out loud and then ... my teeth start falling out. The plot is never identical, but the situation always ends the same way. My gums get mushy and when I bite down, my teeth relinquish their oral attachments. I catch them in my hand or spit them onto the ground. Gross, right? Sometimes the person I'm talking to won't even notice what has happened and I'm left standing in front of them, silenced by the horror of the situation. They keep talking or wait for me to continue speaking, but I can't.

There must be some underlying meaning to these dreams, but I'm not having a lot of luck finding out what that might be. Especially since this isn't something that can be definitively answered by Wikipedia ... or science for that matter.

According to some dream dictionaries, if my teeth were rotting or decaying, the message could be that I "may have uttered some false or foul words and those words are coming back to haunt" me. However, my teeth are always in perfect condition before the falling out starts. If my dream involved brushing teeth, it might "signify [my] level of confidence, struggles and aggressiveness". But, I'm never brushing. Always talking.

This subconscious experience is especially terrifying to me because I have pre-existing complexes about teeth. First, I'm really creeped out by people that have small teeth. Like too small for their normal-sized smile. Plus, when someone has really tiny teeth, they tend to have a lot of them. I'm guessing this is anatomy's attempt at symmetry, trying to fill all the empty space in their mouths leftover from being born with minuscule chompers. Next, I'm not afraid the dentist, but I am obsessive-compulsive about oral hygiene. I've never had a cavity and never plan to. Lastly, when I had braces, I developed a slight phobia about walking up and down stairs because I might trip, fall and knock my teeth out (still attached together by the brackets). Why do the things I fear always involve teeth in some capacity? I don't know.

Other theories about dreams specifically involving teeth falling out include a "fear of being embarrassed or making a fool of yourself in some specific situation". That can't be right though, I make a fool out of myself on a daily basis. I've accepted that fact. These dreams are interpreted differently depending on your culture as well. The Chinese believe it is linked with telling lies. The Greek believe it to be an omen of sickness or death. I'm not Greek or Chinese. It has also been linked to the onset of menopause. This is also not applicable.

The best interpretation I have found so far attributes my dreams about teeth falling out to "experiencing feelings of inferiority and a lack of self-confidence in some situation or relationship in your life". I guess that makes sense considering my current emotional state ... but I'm not always in the same mood when the dream strikes. Urgh! This is frustrating! I give up.