Everyone can recollect times from our childhood years when the Tooth Fairy traded cash for our treasurable baby teeth.
This is a favored practice for American families, and the Tooth Fairy is even a great story for parents to use when aiming to persuade their children to take better care of their teeth. In fact, writer Vicki Lanksy discovered that children were far more interested in managing good dental hygiene if their parents persuaded them that the Tooth Fairy gave more for perfect teeth. But did you know that the Tooth Fairy that we recognize is primarily exclusive to Americans? Furthermore, unlike Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, the sources concerning this custom are not known.
How Do You Become The Tooth Fairy Consultant?
A professor from the Northwestern University Dental School, Rosemary Wells, decided to carry out some research on the unknown inceptions of the Tooth Fairy. What she uncovered was that the Tooth Fairy wasn't as old as was actually accepted. The oldest oral indication of this character occurred near the turn of the 20th century, while the first printed appearance happened as recently as 1927. Wells moved ahead with her study for many years and she also performed a nationwide survey that incorporated roughly 2,000 families. One of the most significant of Wells' feats is the museum that she has established that displays all of her research and findings. And where is this museum? It's inside of Wells' Illinois home. Her business card even proclaims her as the official "Tooth Fairy Consultant."
Various Worldwide Traditions
Even though the idea of the pop culture Tooth Fairy has its roots in American culture, the rituals regarding lost baby teeth differ from place to place. Children living in Russia, New Zealand, France, and Mexico put their baby teeth under their pillow in the anticipation that a mouse or rat will trade it out for cash or candy. The thought with this principle is that the kids' teeth may grow back as strong as a rat's. Various civilizations' practices of the Tooth Fairy actually feature a rodent or mouse, although it depends upon the community and whether the child puts their tooth beneath their pillow or if they leave it out for the mouse to snatch. The French refer to this figure as La Petite Souris, while the Spanish refer to it as Ratoncito Perez.
Different common traditions involve leaving the lost tooth in a glass of water or milk--or even wine--and placing it by the bedside table. Tannfe is the name of the Norwegian tooth fairy, and she prefers the teeth in clear water since her worn out eyes can’t identify the tooth anywhere else. The following morning, a silver coin will be at the bottom of the cup. For Irish children, the tooth fairy is a young leprechaun known as Anna Bogle that unintentionally knocked out her front tooth while playing in the forest one day. She uses children's lost teeth to replace her own, and in exchange, she leaves behind a shiny gold coin. In Asian countries, on the other hand, children will pitch teeth lost from their bottom jaw onto the roof of their house, and teeth lost from their top jaw will be thrown into the gap underneath their house. Typically, the daughters and sons will yell an aspiration for durable, healthy teeth to grow in its place.
There are a number of cultures that treat the custom of lost teeth with superstitious caution. For instance, in Austria, kids have been known to stash their teeth in the areas surrounding their property. This was done to guard the young children since Austrians thought that if a witch obtained a child's tooth, that children might come to be cursed. Viking soldiers, on the other hand, believed their kids' teeth carried blessing during combat, and they usually made jewelry out of the teeth to wear to battle.
Sensible Approaches to the Tooth Fairy
It may be justified that the exercise of these numerous tooth fairy customs can encourage children to overcome the anxiety of losing teeth and supply contentment throughout this all-new event. Anthropologist Cindy Dell Clark has insisted that a young child receiving money in exchange for their lost tooth is the very first progression toward maturity given that earning money in adulthood is an exercise in obligation and agency.
Rosemary Wells and Cindy Dell Clark are not the only ones who have been examining and experimenting with the outcomes of the tooth fairy. In 2013, Visa revealed that the normal amount provided for a tooth in the USA was $3.70. Jason Alderman, who is Visa's senior director of global financial education, has claimed: "It is due to a combination of things: one is a reflection of an improving economy, and that parents feel they can afford to be generous in small areas."
Our team would like to know what you believe! Did you have a special tooth fairy practice growing up? How much did the Tooth Fairy leave for you? Also, Mom and Dad, do you find yourselves in a daily struggle to get your kids to brush and floss? Dr. Sachs has some quick, handy tips on how you can start making dental hygiene fun for your kids. Check it out here!