The tooth fairy is a mythological character of the folklore of many peoples, who gives gifts to children when they lose their milk teeth.

Such inventions can cause significant annoyances among infants when, growing up, they learn that these cute beings never existed. Some often feel betrayed by their innocent credibility, while other children pride themselves on having unmasked the truth themselves.

Many families contribute to the creation of these myths, whose tradition extends to several Western civilizations. For example, in the Spanish-speaking countries, instead of fairies we find the little mouse Perez. This small animal, with a fairly common name, is also called the “mouse of teeth”.

In Ireland there is also a dental goblin, although of more recent tradition. And in Lowland, Scotland, we find a habit similar to that of the mouse or the fairies: it is a white rat that buys children’s teeth with small coins.

Dental traditions from different countries have been compiled and published in the excellent book for children: “Throw your tooth to the ceiling: dental traditions of the world”, written by Selby Beeler and illustrated by G. Brian Kara’s in 1998.

The rituals of the dental fairies.

They typically include:

1) that the child who has lost a tooth places it under the pillow and

2) the child, the next morning, find a coin or a small bill in the place where he had placed his tooth the night before.

A less widespread variant indicates that the child can place his tooth in a glass, located next to his bed. In the morning, inside the container you will find the coveted coin. This option is easier, since it is always easier for parents to take the tooth out of a glass and place the coin there to look under the pillow, at the risk of the child waking up.

The utility of the teeth fairy is to offer a small reward to children who lose teeth because this natural event could be traumatic or worrisome for them. Is it a way to “mitigate” the effects of body change.

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