Adults Only: The Lowdown on the Tooth Fairy

August 27, 2014

Ok, so first things first, unless your kids already know the truth about the tooth fairy, don’t read this with them - we don’t want to shatter the childhood fantasy!

However, if you’ve ever wondered about the most loved character in Anglosphere dentistry, this article is for you!

The act of rewarding children upon the loss of their deciduous teeth is a tradition that has existed since at least as far back as the 13th century - the 13th century saw the first recorded mention of this act - but it has probably been going on much longer. However, the tooth fairy is actually a much more recent phenomenon, only appearing in print back in 1927.

So the tooth fairy comes out of a long historical tradition, but the exact origin of the tooth fairy is unknown, and why the fairy first appeared is up for debate too. It’s possible that the tooth fairy emerged as a way of comforting children going through tooth loss, but, at this point, no one can say for sure.

Descriptions of the tooth fairy’s appearance are far from universal and can vary greatly as well. Some accounts describe the tooth fairy as female, while some describe the tooth fairy as male.

Furthermore, the tooth fairy is only really prevalent in English-speaking countries. In hispanic nations, a rat (strong-toothed) replaces the tooth fairy. However, the tradition of placing the lost tooth beneath the pillow when sleeping remains the same.