The Tooth Fairy

The tradition when a child looses a tooth of leaving it under the pillow is practiced in many countries throughout the world. It is very common in the United States and many parents even make a deal with the Tooth Fairy to keep their child’s teeth as a memento.

In Europe it is customary that when a child’s sixth tooth falls out, the parents will often times slip a gift under the child’s pillow. In Northern Europe a child usually receives a “tooth fee” when they lose their first tooth. In the United States, a reward being left goes on as long as the child believes.

More people believe in the existence of the Tooth Fairy than Santa Clause or the Easter Bunny. Most people think the tooth fairy is female but in reality no one really knows what the tooth fairy looks like though most people tend to associate it with a Tinker Bell type figure.

There are many related myths in other countries when a child loses a tooth, such as throwing it onto the roof if it was a lower tooth or putting it beneath the floor if it was an upper tooth. Many parents also leave some glitter or “fairy dust” after the tooth fairy has left.

A February 2013 ABC News story said the average left for a tooth was $2.42. No matter how you want to look at it, it seems the Tooth Fairy is always near by!