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Did you know?
Did you know?
80% of American families receive visits from the tooth fairy
the idea of the tooth fairy originated in Chicago Tribune in 1908 but became popular in the 1970s
in other countries, the tooth fairy is not a creature with wings and a wand
a magic mouse collects lost baby teeth from a cup of water in Argentina and Sweden
a bunny collects lost baby teeth in El Salvador
in parts of South America, baby teeth are bedazzled by children's mothers and then returned as jewelry
in Japan, children throw lost baby teeth to bring luck for straight permanent teeth instead of leaving them for the tooth fairy (bottom teeth are thrown up and upper teeth are thrown down)
Chicago Tribune
Benefits of the tooth fairy
Benefits of the tooth fairy
reinforcement for participation in oral care at home
stimulates interest and excitement in teeth, which can make going to the dentist or losing teeth less scary
children who do not remove loose baby teeth are at a higher risk for permanent teeth emerging incorrectly or inflamed gums
tool for learning about our two sets of teeth and the importance of taking care of new, "forever teeth"
fun for parents
reminder to care for your own teeth to set the example for your child
way to reminiscence on your own experience with the tooth fairy in childhood
opportunity to be creative
stimulates imaginative play, which is at its peak around 4 years
although some parents argue that introducing fantasy characters impacts children's trust, there is no strong research to support this claim
tooth fairy ideas
tooth fairy ideas
Collecting Teeth
if your child insists on leaving their tooth under a pillow, designate a pillow specifically for the tooth fairy to decrease chances of losing the tooth and/or waking your child
recycle small containers (e.g., pill bottles, spice jars, chapstick tube, gum container) as tooth keepers
crafting also develops fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination
place the tooth in a ziplock bag taped to the bathroom mirror
let your child leave out a snack for the tooth fairy using only healthy foods
if the tooth was lost or swallowed, honor a note to the tooth fairy from your child
if the tooth falls out while the child is away (e.g., sleepover or camp), tell them that the fairy only comes to the home where the first tooth was lost (reward them upon return)
Gifting
to provide a third voice (aside from yours and the dentist's) on the importance of oral care, leave a note from the tooth fairy using special paper, markers, or stickers
non-monetary rewards
experiences - tickets to pottery painting, the zoo, or gift card to the child's favorite ice cream shop
practical goods - a new toothbrush, toothpaste flavor, and floss picks
dental play kits
certificate for each tooth
Did you forget to have the tooth fairy come? You are not alone! Fifty-five percent of parents forget to notify the tooth fairy at least once. Try telling your child:
"the fairy got rain on its wings and could not fly"
"the tooth fairy is sick"
"we forgot to let her know you lost a tooth with a note or her favorite snack"
"you must have woken up while the fairy was in your room, so it will have to return tonight"
"the tooth fairy left a note for me letting me know they ran out of money, but asked me to take you out for ice cream instead"
the tooth fairy retires
the tooth fairy retires
around 7-8 years, children develop reasoning skills to question fantasy characters
if your child asks if the tooth fairy is real, investigate
"what do you think about the tooth fairy?"
"where did you hear that the tooth fairy is not real?"
when your child has a logical argument for the tooth fairy being fantasy, be honest and make it a learning experience
talk about the tradition of the tooth fairy and choose a new tradition to replace it with
agree to pretend that the tooth fairy is real and continue the tradition for the remaining baby teeth
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