What are tooth archetypes?
Lizzie’s tooth archetypes
As a natural oral health coach who helps people all around the world to avoid unnecessary dental procedures and have better experiences with the necessary ones. A few years ago I worked with a client I’ll call Lizzie. She was in her 70s when she came to me for help with infected root canals in her top incisors that she wanted to replace with implants, because she was very fearful about proceeding with such invasive dental treatment at the front of her mouth.
As we worked together to release decades of dental trauma, Lizzie shared the story of her top front teeth. A couple of years after her parents had divorced because of her mother’s affair with the man who would become Lizzie’s stepfather, six year-old Lizzie tripped and smashed her new front teeth into their flagstone floor. Looking back she can see that she was trying to make herself a less attractive target of abuse by her mother and stepfather.
As is common with episodes like this, one tooth shows the long term damage before the other. Lizzie’s left top tooth died after a few months, turning grey as it lost its connection with blood flow and nerves.
That’s the central incisor I call the Nurturer archetype, which commonly represents your early relationship with your mother or a mother figure. This tooth was embodying the emotional burden of Lizzie’s mother’s physical and psychological abuse.
Her upper right incisor died a few years later, around the time her father remarried and Lizzie lost all hope that his benign neglect would ever provide escape from the abuse in her mother’s household.
The upper right incisor is the Leader archetype and commonly represents your early relationship with your father or a father figure. For Lizzie it embodied her disappointment in her father and the abuse inflicted by her step-father.
With an understanding of this history Lizzie and I worked with the metaphysical influences on her teeth to heal not only the infection in her oral cavity but also the years of silence about her traumatic childhood abuse. Responding to her teeth’s symptoms as though they were messages from her wounded inner child helped her to have very positive experiences and outcomes with her dental treatments.
At the end of our work together she told me that having the front teeth extracted had felt like removing her childhood abusers from her mouth, opening a door to a new life.
How do teeth store emotions?
Your mouth is the body’s primary means of expression so that when expression is inhibited as result of chronic or acute trauma, teeth and gums can end up holding on to the energy of the trauma.
Almost every person I’ve ever worked with can trace their symptoms back to some kind of traumatic secret, silences, or suppressed emotions.
When emotional trauma and psychological patterns involve secrets, silences or suppressed emotions, they potentially influence the health of teeth and gums through several different physical pathways:
- Hormones such as cortisol, produced by stress, can obstruct the body’s natural processes of remineralizing teeth or cause jaw tension leading to tooth and gum damage.
- The mouth is part of the digestive system with its own unique microbiome which is influenced by genetic, behavioural and environmental factors including trauma and trauma responses.
- The jaws contain one of the most dense networks of nerve endings in the whole body, so teeth and gums are integrated with the health of your nervous system.
Introducing Tooth Archetypes
This article is an introduction to my Tooth Archetype workshop series, which will eventually be complete with 32 workshops that dive deep into the meaning of each adult tooth, one at a time.
In this introduction I’ll summarize some key points from my book, The Secret Lives of Teeth, which are useful background information to understand the tooth archetypes framework, especially if you aren’t familiar with metaphysical approaches to physical oral health.
I’ll explain how tracing the location of your own symptoms onto a metaphysical map of the mouth can help you to understand underlying emotional, energetic, psychological, ancestral or environmental influences.
Think about your own dental history and current oral health concerns.
Where are the cavities or fillings, the root canals, the crowns, the gaps, the implants or bridges?
Where are gums receding or bone density being lost?
Your personal mouth map can provide a starting point for incorporating metaphysical healing into your approach to oral health, making it more holistic and in my experience, more effective.
I‘ll also briefly describe the specific meaning of each tooth’s archetype and then give you some ideas for how to work with tooth archetypes to help you maintain healthy teeth, heal existing problems and prevent future issues.
Disclaimer
Before I introduce my unique system of tooth archetypes, a disclaimer- I’m not a dentist and a metaphysical approach to oral health is no substitute for necessary dental interventions or consistent home care practices.
Use your common sense and be pragmatic because metaphysical oral health needs to be seen as complementary, not alternative, to physical oral healthcare.
Metaphysical approaches to oral health are safest and most helpful when symptoms are ambiguous and /or minor. Symptoms that are seriously risky and/or have an obvious physical explanation definitely need you to respond physically with dental and/or home remedies.
Where do tooth archetypes come from?
That said, dental interventions can be more reliable, effective, uncomplicated and fast acting when you also work with a potentially powerful metaphysical mapping system for oral health including:
- Meridians based on traditional Chinese medicine form a mystical landscape of energy channels that extend throughout the body, including the mouth.
- Dr Michele Caffin’s system of allocating meaning to different quadrants of the mouth. The right and left, upper and lower, front and back sections of the mouth are the equivalent of neighbourhoods with different cultures.
- Christian Beyer’s system of tooth types, assigns different meanings to molars, canines, incisors and so on. These can be thought of like styles of housing which are recognizably similar even in different neighbourhoods.
These frameworks are all different ways of mapping the location of the symptoms within the mouth, allocating specific interpretations by placement.
Over many years as a holistic oral health coach, putting these frameworks into practice with hundreds of clients from all over the world. Eventually I developed my own user-friendly system of tooth archetype, where the archetypes are like job descriptions encompassing the way you uniquely occupy the tooth type houses, quadrant neighbourhoods and meridian landscapes.
The tooth archetypes encompass specific qualities, themes, strengths, vulnerabilities, significant relationships, life stages or ancestral influences.
Your teeth embody the archetypes most fully when you experience symptoms in those teeth.
Archetypes are signposts which raise questions, open doors, or signal possibilities without offering definitive or rigid explanations.
Archetypes are broad generalizations, and any connection to your unique situation and life can help you to create what I call ‘a healing story’ that is particular to you. Your version of the archetype is the correct one for you, and may be very different to anyone else’s.
Earth Mother Archetype
Here’s an example. Tooth 14, the upper left first molar is represented by the Earth Mother archetype, which I’ve seen show up in different people as symptoms embodying:
- Transgenerational trauma from a mid-20th century famine
- Eating disorders (in several clients)
- Memories of a power struggle as a child whose mother punished her for not eating everything on the plate;
- A client who wasn’t breastfed and was jealous of a slightly younger sibling who did get nursed;
If you’ve had problems with your upper left first molar, think about how you may have ever experienced trauma around getting nourishment.
Thirty-two Tooth Archetypes
Now I’ll briefly describe each of the archetypes with just one aspect of its multifaceted meanings to give you a little taste. Learn more clicking the link, or reading The Secret Lives of Teeth.
Please note that when I describe teeth as right or left, I’m referring to your right side and your left side, not how someone else sees you.
Wisdom teeth (aka third molars)
Wisdoms represent your ancient ancestors and collective wisdom.Wisdoms are at the very back of your mouth, and their archetypes are relevant are whether or not you grow or retain the wisdom teeth.
1. Upper right wisdom LORE archetype: external governance through law, rules, policy
16.Upper left wisdom VIRTUES archetype: inner conformity with moral compass
32. Lower right wisdom MYSTIC archetype: material aspects of spiritual discipline
17. Lower left wisdom HONOR archetype: cultural transmission and continuity
Incisors (front teeth, ‘social eight’)
Incisors represent your earliest years from infancy to about the age you lost your first front tooth.
Central incisors are the first baby teeth to grow in, the first to fall out, and the first adult teeth. Their archetypes represent your infancy and your parents.
8. Upper right central incisor LEADER archetype: father and act with competence
9. Upper left central incisor NURTURER archetype: Mother and where/how you feel nourished
25. Lower right central incisor BEAST archetype: impulsive momentum
24. Lower left central incisor – DOLL archetype: passive compliance
Lateral incisors are right next to the central incisors and their archetypes represent how you were socialised in your pre-school years.
7. Upper right lateral incisor INNER CRITIC archetype: judgemental inner voice
10. Upper left lateral incisor PRIESTESS archetype: body image and self care
26. Lower right lateral incisor GUARDIAN archetype: defensive boundaries
23. Lower left lateral incisor MARTYR archetype: self sacrifice
Canines (eye teeth, cuspids, vampire teeth)
Canine teeth sit on the corner of your jaws between front and back teeth. The top canines are considered a sex marker because they can be slightly longer in many males. Canine teeth archetypes represent power dynamics.
Upper right canine COMMANDER archetype: hierarchy and authority
Upper left canine SUBMISSION archetype: obedience, compliance
Lower right canine COLLABORATOR archetype: participating in collective effort
Lower left canine SERVANT archetype: exploitation, motherhood
Premolars (bicuspids, side teeth)
Premolar archetypes represent your childhood, pleasures and preferences.
First premolars are directly behind the canines and their archetypes relate to your closest relationships,
5. Upper right first premolars DADDY archetype: affectionate support
12. Upper left first premolars FORGIVENESS archetype: unconditional love
28. Lower right first premolars FRIEND archetype: youthful peers
21. Lower left first premolars LOVER archetype: romantic partners
Second premolars are in front of your first molars and their archetypes represent your creativity, talents and abilities.
4. Upper right second premolars ALLIANCE archetype: social dynamics of loss
13. Upper left second premolars HARVEST archetype: innate abilities
29. Lower right second premolars RIVAL archetype: sibling tension
20. Lower left second premolars TRUST archetype: grounding relationships
Molars (back teeth)
Molars are the biggest teeth at the back of your mouth, their archetypes represent your adulthood and teenage years.
First molars are third from the back if you have wisdom teeth, or second from the back if there is no wisdom tooth in that quadrant. Their archetypes represent status in different areas of your life.
3. Upper right First molars SUN archetype: purpose and livlihood
14. Upper left First molars EARTH MOTHER archetype: natural world, eating disorders
30. Lower right First molars PROFESSIONAL archetype: career and purpose
19. Lower left First molars HOME archetype: private space
Second molars are located right in front of the wisdom teeth, or at the very back if you don’t have wisdoms. Their archetypes relate to identity and authenticity.
2. Upper right Second molars NAME archetype: reputation and status
15. Upper left Second molars NIGHT archetype: exclusion and belonging
31. Lower right Second molars GOALS archetype: youthful idealism
18. Lower left Second molars CONCEPTION archetype: prenatal emotional environm
So that’s the speed version of the tooth archetypes. When I’m coaching one-to-one we can easily spend the better part of an hour discussing just one tooth archetype, and return to it week after week.
So please know that there’s lots more to say on each archetype if this list of hints didn’t resonate for you.
What should you do with tooth archetypes?
Ultimately tooth archetypes bring the power of imagination into the realm of your physical body, and support your healing process to be a creative, expressive, spiritual experience.
I encourage you to develop your unique healing story rather than relying on the archetype descriptions I provide. Telling your own story is like the difference between watching a movie vs a trailer.
I’ve seen over and over again how tooth archetypes can have broad application especially when symptoms or sensations in your mouth draw your attention.
Referring to archetypes can help you to understand yourself better. If you know what’s going on with someone else’s teeth (like a patient or client) it can give you insight into parts of their lives they don’t share easily.
There are so many ways to work with tooth archetypes to support your oral health. You can meditate on their themes or journal about the relationships they represent. You can bring tooth archetypes into different therapies, discuss their vulnerabilities in a with a counsellor or support group, try somatic therapies in response to sensations in your mouth, or explore the archetypes within your inner child, internal family systems or ancestor work.
Archetypes can help make more sense of the origins of your teeth and gum symptoms when conventional explanations about oral hygiene or diet don’t resonate.
Ultimately, awareness of the archetypes can change how you relate to your teeth, with more compassion, curiosity, confidence, gratitude and generosity.
FAQ
Q. Do baby teeth have archetypes too?
A. Yes, baby teeth (aka milk, or deciduous teeth) have the same general archetypal associations. Baby teeth have a different numbering system and there are fewer teeth overall so its not always straightforward to identify which archetypes are affected.
Furthermore, the specific ways I have described tooth archetypes in my work to date refer to adult experiences and themes which don’t always make sense for children. I’m planning to write a specific explanation of how to work with baby teeth archetypes, so look out for that!
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Q. Are tooth archetypes helpful even with a mouthful of dental problems?
A. Yes! It’s super useful and very interesting to explore the relationships between the different tooth archetypes that are active in all the teeth which are symptomatic. They can be working together to tell a complicated story like characters in a novel.
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Q. What happens to a tooth archetype when a tooth is filled, root canaled or extracted?
A. Tooth archetypes are still active in teeth with restorations, including extractions, implants or bridges. Arguably, tooth archetypes are most useful when you are trying to understand and avoid further complications with a tooth that has required dental intervention.
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Q. Do tooth archetypes have any relevance for gum problems.
A. Yes, tooth archetypes are most relevant for gum problems which are localized, such as gum pockets, bleeding and some instances of bone loss. Here’s an introduction to the spiritual reasons for gum problems which explains a bit more about applying tooth archetype interpretations to gums.
Further reading
Spiritual meaning of central incisors
Metaphysical meaning molars & premolars
Metaphysical healing guidelines
3. Sun: Upper Right First Molar Archetype Workshop
15. Night: Upper Left Second Molar Archetype Workshop
2. Name: Upper Right Second Molar Archetype Workshop
16. Virtues: Upper Left Wisdom Tooth Archetype Workshop
1. Lore: Upper Right Wisdom Tooth Archetype Workshop
The Secret Lives of Teeth
Learn how to interpret the metaphysical messages of your teeth and gum symptoms!
The Secret Lives of Teeth is a clear and comprehensive guide teaches you a unique, complementary self-help approach to easing toothaches, enhancing enamel and gum remineralization and getting better results with necessary dental treatments.
Available as a paperback or ebook.
Has a dentist told you that your cavities or receding gums are your fault because you are drinking too much Coke, you don’t floss enough or you need to stop breastfeeding your baby? And you know that isn’t true!
I’m Meliors Simms, a natural oral health coach and I’m not going to blame you or shame you.
The underlying causes of your oral health issues are not your fault!
Nature or nurture, ancestry or environment, free will or systemic oppression, unconscious emotions or the degraded food system are the factors that make your teeth and gums vulnerable to disease.
Even though your tooth decay and gum disease is not your fault, it is within your power to change.
I can help you to turn your oral health around with natural strategies, healthy habits and intuitive insights.
Listen to your teeth
Listen to your teeth: Mapping the metaphysical messages from your mouth is a FREE online masterclass (all value, no fluff) that will teach you how to make sense of what your teeth and gums want you to know.
In this FREE Masterclass you’ll get:
- metaphysical maps of your mouth
- a manifesto for metaphysical healing
- a guided visualisation to listen to your teeth
- healing with metaphysical messages
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