CW: The following article about lost twins includes mention of miscarriage and stillbirth. Be kind to yourself if this is a sensitive topic for you.

A lost twin and or vanished triplets may be more common than most people suspect.

Some, like Elvis Presley, got to spend their whole prenatal life snugged up in the womb with a sibling, only to lose their twin at birth.

Many more, like me, were conceived with a twin who died before anyone suspected their existence. To be conceived a twin and born a single baby is called Vanishing Twin Syndrome.

For a long time my only clues were an inexplicable sensation of loss and guilt that suffused my childhood. As puberty hit, I thought I was going mad with vivid otherworldly visions. In my early 20s with a meditation practice and therapeutic support I found relief when I could understand those visions and emotions as as prenatal memories.

Around 29, at the time of my Saturn Return, I had an unnecessary root canal in a perfectly healthy tooth 18. Due to a dental misadventure, one root canal turned into two root canals which soon both failed. Repeatedly. These lower left twin molars (teeth 18 & 19) ended up getting extracted (you can read the whole story in my book, The Secret Lives of Teeth).

It’s only in retrospect that I can interpret the metaphysical meanings of those troubled teeth, let alone understand them in the context of my unique framework of Tooth Archetypes.

The Secret Lives of Teeth

At the heart of my book, The Secret Lives of Teeth, are thirty-two detailed descriptions of archetypes that sum up the unique energetic imprint of each adult tooth. I developed these archetype descriptions from working with coaching clients to understand the metaphysical messages carried by symptoms in different parts of their mouths.

The Tooth Archetype for the lower left second molar is Conception. Symptoms in tooth 18 may be trying to reconnect you with a sense of unified love and ecstasy of your existence before birth.

As I wrote in my book, symptoms in tooth 18 are primarily communicating your relationship as a fetus/embryo with your mother, via the placenta. Ideally this all-encompassing connection was your original experience of human bonding. As such it is also mapped onto the relationship between your conscious mind and physical body.

However, since publishing The Secret Lives of Teeth, I’ve also found a connection with Vanishing Twin (or Triplet) Syndrome. Over my years as a holistic oral health coach, I would often have a breakthrough in my understanding of certain tooth archetypes when the same tooth would come up for discussion with several clients within a short time. This happened again a few months ago with tooth 18, the lower left second molar that I call the Conception Archetype.

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.

Secret Tooth Archetypes

Tooth Archetypes are like job descriptions. The Tooth’s Archetype is a role that stays as potential rather than presence unless the Archetype is activated. Then the job starts to actually get done and the role is filled. 

Tooth Archetype’s gets activated by your experience with three ‘S’s’: Silence, Secrets or Suppressed emotions. When one of the ‘S’s’ affects the qualities of a Tooth Archetype, that tooth may eventually, or immediately, start to try to get your attention.

Most people will only become aware of a tooth asking for attention when symptoms flare up i.e. decay or cavities, sensitivity or toothache, bleeding or receding gums. 

However, when you really pay attention to your mouth, you can become aware of a Tooth Archetype activating before it turns into a physical symptom.  You might be aware of a buzzing or tingling feeling, a sense of fullness, or just a feeling that is hard to describe in or around your tooth. 

The earlier you can engage with an activated Tooth Archetype, the easier it is to avoid, stabilize or even reverse damaging symptoms in your mouth. 

Lost Twin and Conception Archetype

Your lower left second molar may present with symptoms when something activates unconscious memories from your time in the womb. If the emotional energy of your mother around the time of your conception, as well as through the pregnancy and birth was influenced by secrecy, suppressed emotions or silence that could help explain later issues with tooth 18. 

For example, if you were an unplanned baby, or your parent’s circumstances were difficult, this tooth could be asking for attention. Tooth 18 can be vulnerable to feeling that you are unwanted, your timing is off, or that you are not good enough to belong.

Or maybe your tooth is reminding you of a vanished twin or lost triplet, asking for you be explore that experience and release any stuck emotions.  As a child you may have tried to explain feelings or ideas which could be related to a lost twin, but been shut down. Symptoms in tooth 18 may even be embodying resonances from an older sibling who was miscarried or stillborn, especially if they were never mentioned

The strength of this tooth is feeling an unconditional sense of being welcomed and loved, and believing your body is worthy of care.   You can support your tooth by sending it loving thoughts while you brush and floss every day. 

When you have current issues with your lower left second molar, you may decide to explore your prenatal life with meditation, journalling, counseling conversations, or other kinds of therapeutic practices. Develop a Healing Story for this tooth, which connects its metaphysical meanings with the unique circumstances of your early life, and current events.

If you can, ask your parents about the circumstances of your conception and pregnancy.

• How was your mother’s emotional and physical health while she was carrying you?
• Had she lost a baby to miscarriage, still birth or adoption before you were conceived?
• Was there any sign (such as breakthrough bleeding) that you may have lost a twin?
• Did she feel well supported during the pregnancy by her partner, family, friends, neighbors, and workplace?
• Were there distressing world events or local news that made her feel unsafe or unsettled while pregnant with you?

Learn more about healing with Tooth Archetypes

Every single adult tooth has an Archetype, and there is a lot more to each Tooth Archetypes than even the discussion in this article. The Tooth Archetypes descriptions and framework are at the heart of my book, The Secret Lives of Teeth: Understanding emotional influences on oral health.

The Secret Lives of Teeth goes beyond the ‘spiritual meanings’ of teeth to engage with the oral effects of generational trauma, personal stress and adaptive emotional patterns.

It includes:

• A unique and user-friendly system of Tooth Archetypes to guide you through the emotional landscape of your mouth explaining each adult tooth’s vulnerabilities and strengths.
• An exceptionally in-depth explanation of Mouth Meridians, with a layperson’s guide to working with their energies.
• A directory of Symptoms as Messengers to help translate the underlying influences on symptoms including abscesses, bruxism, cracks and chips, gingivitis, plaque, root canals, and receding gums.
• A toolkit of self-help exercises to make it easier to develop a Healing Story which works with your symptom’s messages, to relieve symptoms and free yourself from shame and fear about your mouth.

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.