Why I have been collecting people's teeth

When Francis Kamau enrolled in dental surgery school, he imagined drilling and fixing teeth—not scavenging for them.

Yet by his fourth year, he found himself on a peculiar mission: collecting 32 adult teeth and 20 children's teeth for his practical classes.

And no, this isn't the setup for a horror movie—it’s just part of the curriculum for aspiring dentists.

"I had no idea where to start," Kamau admits. "I called my family and friends, asking if they knew anyone shedding teeth. Imagine saying, ‘Hey, do you know a kid who just got a visit from the tooth fairy?’ It felt ridiculous."

Reactions ranged from awkward laughter to outright suspicion.

"Some people thought I was running a black-market operation. Even when I explained it was for school, it didn’t exactly make things less weird," he recalls.

To make things harder, the teeth had to be cavity-free. "Most adults lose teeth because of cavities, but surprisingly, adult teeth were still easier to find than kids' teeth," Kamau says. "Apparently, kids don’t shed teeth as often as you’d think. "

Desperation kicked in. Kamau contacted every dentist he could find, slid into their DMs, and even had some children’s teeth sent to him as a parcel to him.

"Opening a package of tiny teeth feels like a scene out of a thriller," he laughs. "But it worked."

After months of effort, Kamau finally collected a full set of adult teeth and 13 children's teeth. "It’s progress," he says proudly. "I still need seven more kids’ teeth, but I’ll get there. This journey has been...educational."

Amid the odd stares, awkward conversations, and parcels of teeth, Kamau has learned more than dental skills. "This experience taught me resilience and how to deal with people. Let me tell you, asking strangers for teeth is not for the faint-hearted," he says.

As for his future, Kamau is aiming for first-class honors. "If hunting down teeth doesn’t prove dedication, I don’t know what does," he says with a grin.