While the tooth fairy as children know her today didn’t make an appearance until the 1900s, tooth myths and rites of passage have existed in numerous cultures since the dawn of time. While the idea of exchanging a tooth for coins quickly spread throughout the rest of Europe, a fierce, horn-helmeted Viking is far cry from the image of a fairy collecting teeth. Teeth were worn on necklaces as good luck charms in battle. So, why does the tooth fairy leave money under the pillow? The idea of exchanging a tooth for coins originated in Scandinavia. The mouse secretly hides under the evil king’s pillow and defeats him by knocking out his teeth. La Bonne Petite Souris, a bedtime story, tells the strange tale of a fairy that changes into a mouse to help a good queen defeat an evil king. At night the tooth fairy spreads fairy dust, collects baby teeth, brings treats and always makes sure you have sweet dreams. The tooth fairy myth began to show more characteristics of a conventional fairytale in 18 th century France. Despite being pests, rodents were valued for their strong teeth it was generally believed a tooth fed to a rodent would lead to the development of a healthy and strong adult tooth. Sometimes baby teeth were even left for rodents to eat. Legend has it that Europeans in the Middle Ages believed a witch could curse someone by using their teeth, so it was important to dispose of baby teeth correctly. Wong and our team learned about some interesting myths about the tooth fairy! Of course, children are more than happy to play along with the game when there’s money at stake! While it is impossible to know what the tooth fairy does with all those teeth (are they labeled and stored like museum pieces in a giant fairytale castle?), it is possible to trace the history and myth of the tooth fairy to several cultures and traditions. And maybe if we all keep our teeth really clean, she’ll be able to afford a bit of time off to join Father Christmas in the Barbados.While the last baby teeth generally aren’t lost until age ten or 11, most children stop believing in the tooth fairy by the time they're seven or eight. So let’s hear it for the tooth fairy, unsung hero of the dental world. After all, the tooth fairy can sometimes be a stronger influence on children than parents! A letter can also help the tooth fairy discourage children from spending all her money on sweets… It can also be a chance for the tooth fairy to stress the importance of good dental hygiene. A hand-written note from the fairy can certainly make the event more personal to your child. After all, who wouldn’t want to wake up with money under their pillow?Īnd money doesn’t have to be the only thing the tooth fairy leaves – she can also leave a letter as well. Losing a tooth can be a scary experience for a small child, so the tooth fairy is a way to turn a scary experience into an exciting one. Though let’s not be too ready with our praise, because they did also make the horrendous film “Tooth Fairy” with Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson as the titular fairy. So we have the Americans to thank for the modern tooth fairy. At the beginning of the 20h century, Americans crossed the French mouse myth with a Disney-style fairy, and voila – the modern-day tooth fairy was born. The idea was that by letting a mouse take the teeth, the child’s new teeth would be as a strong as mouse’s. But it wasn’t a fairy that took their teeth – it’s was mouse instead. If only our children would be happy with just a few pennies today!Īnd before this, French children left out their teeth in exchange for money. References to the tooth fairy date as far back as 1908, when a newspaper article at the time said, “If a boy takes his little tooth and puts it under the pillow when he goes to bed, the tooth fairy will come in the night and take it away, and in its place will leave some little gift.” The article goes on to suggest that this ‘little gift’ can be a few pennies. The tooth fairy is the most generous in London, where she leaves £2.50 per tooth, and the stingiest in Newcastle, where she only leaves £1 on average. This average varies geographically though. The survey also revealed that the average payment the tooth fairy leaves for a tooth is £2.10. (Or perhaps this is just a sign that the British economy is finally recovering.) Thanks to a survey this year, we know that tooth fairy payments have increased by a whopping 40% in the last five years alone. Not only does the tooth fairy have an amazing work ethic, but she’s generous too. So have pity for the poor Tooth Fairy, who has to work all year round without a single day off. Posted by Dentist Birmingham on July 12, 2016Īfter Father Christmas is finished making toys at the North Pole, he’ll no doubt be sipping cocktails in Barbados along with the Easter Bunny.
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