The Legend of the Tooth Fairy

What is the real story behind the Tooth Fairy? Well, it depends on where you look.

The Tooth is believed to be a tiny fairy in a tutu with a pair of wings and supposedly originated in the United States in the early part of the 1900s. And it seems that the custom has remained popular even today. The folklore states that when a child loses a baby tooth, it should be placed under their pillow. Once they are fast asleep, the Tooth Fairy will visit and replace the tooth with a small payment.

Of course, there are many other traditions around the world commemorating the loss of a child’s tooth. In Italy, for example, the Tooth Fairy is thought to be a mouse, named Topolino. In fact, many countries portray the Tooth Fairy character as a mouse. In Asian countries, tradition has it that the child throws his or her tooth onto the rooftop of their house. And in Japan, the lost tooth is often thrown straight down to the ground if an upper tooth, and straight into the air if it is a lower tooth, symbolizing that the teeth are to grow in straight.

Regardless, according to surveys, an American child on average receives about $3.70. But some parents take it a step further with items like special notes from the Tooth Fairy, dental fairy dust (glitter) sprinkled on a pillow.

But whatever your “payment” method, just remember that by the time all 32 permanent teeth finally come in, your child will have lost a total of 20 “baby” teeth. So make sure it doesn’t get too expensive!