What does Henry's new tooth represent?

Henry's new tooth represents unfulfilled hope, as well as a loss of innocence. When Matt looks at Henry's body, he sees "Henry's new tooth, the gums previously hiding it now gone" (53). This symbol of growth becomes more pronounced as Henry is dead. The description continues declaring the tooth "perfect and tiny, set above the others, which you could tell were baby teeth"(53). Henry's tooth becomes representative of him, perfectly Henry, worthy of love. The image of a tooth recurs when Elizabeth watches his videotaped testimony in court and she sees: "the shadow of a tooth he'd lost that weekend, the one she took from under his pillow and replaced with a dollar from the tooth fairy, careful not to disturb his peaceful sleeping face on the pillow" (265). This image underscores the innocence of childhood as well as hopes and dreams parents hold for their young.