Tooth Fairy Tales: Tooth Fairy Traditions

You’ve surely heard of her: The beloved Tooth Fairy who makes her way into your child’s room at night to swap a newly lost baby tooth for cash, sugar-free gum or a new toothbrush.

She lives in a beautiful castle built of healthy pearly whites in the town of Glitterville.

Despite her magical powers and fabulous wealth, the Tooth Fairy can’t do it all alone.

She has many friends in different countries helping her trading baby teeth for treasures.

Take a quick tour around the world

Argentina & Sweden: The lost baby tooth is placed in a glass of water and left on the nightstand where a thirsty “Magical Mouse” sneaks into the house and drinks the water to reach the tooth. Money is left as thanks! 

Europe: There are many different traditions, but best known are the Tooth Fairy’s Elf and Brownie friends. They sneak into the child’s bedroom and night and exchange the baby tooth left under a pillow for money, toys or other gifts. They love it when the tooth is left in a fairy tooth bottle! 

The Philippines: Magical Mouse’s cousin “Tooth Rat” is in charge of collecting the lost teeth in this country. Unlike Magical Mouse, his cousin stays plenty hydrated so it is not necessary to leave him water. And he is lazy! He asks children to leave the tooth on the window sill so he doesn’t have to climb all the way to the child’s bed. 

Spain: In Spain, another mouse (presumably the cousin of Tooth Rat and Magical Mouse) named Ratoncito Pérez visits all the children who have lost their teeth. He is fast and full of energy so he scurries into the child’s room to scoop up their tooth from under their pillow. He leaves money and is out of there before you can blink!

Now, not every tooth is used to build the Tooth Fairy’s castle. Only the shiny, healthy ones will do. So what happens to the rest? Read on to find out what the tooth fairy does with your teeth.

Want to be the Tooth Fairy for a day? Get all dressed up with these DIY tooth fairy accessories  and tooth fairy wings!