Get ready for a visit from the Tooth Fairy!

As your child gets closer to school-aged, they’ll start to lose their baby, or primary, teeth. Once that first tooth falls out, your child will be excited for their first visit from the Tooth Fairy! To help them understand about losing baby teeth and this special magical being, we have a bunch of ideas to help your children get ready (and excited) for a visit from the Tooth Fairy.

Who is the Tooth Fairy?

Did you know that the origins of children being paid for their teeth can be traced back to the 1200s? Back in the day, the Norse believed that articles of clothing from children, as well as their teeth, brought good luck in battle, so the Norse would pay their children for the first teeth they lost. They would wear them as a necklace for good luck.

The modern iteration of the Tooth Fairy can be traced back to a 1908 article in the Chicago Daily Tribune, which mentioned that children placed a lost tooth under their pillow, and the Tooth Fairy came during the night to take it away and left a small token of money.

As for how the Tooth Fairy is depicted, that depends on who you ask. Unlike Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny, there is no one standard look for this fairy. The Tooth Fairy is often depicted as a woman, but in some stories, the fairy is a man, or even an animal.

Let the excitement build.

Many children find comfort in the myth of the Tooth Fairy. This fairy can be reassuring for children who may be uneasy about losing their teeth and scared of the pain that might be involved. Parents often explain to their children that this fairy is a magical being who collects baby teeth that have fallen out of the mouths of children. This fairy shouldn’t be seen as something scary, but is often used as a sign of a child growing up. Sometimes this fairy even leaves behind a note praising a child’s dental habits to encourage continued good oral hygiene, along with a small gift or monetary reward.

Children don’t believe in the Tooth Fairy forever. Often, as a child gets older, they grow out of believing in imaginary beings who bring gifts, like Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. Many children begin to question these imaginary beings around the age of seven, so let them enjoy these childhood ideas while they still believe!

Welcome the Tooth Fairy in style.

Many children love arts and crafts, so let them get creative on how they want to welcome the Tooth Fairy into their lives!

Decorate a special Tooth Fairy pillow.

What better way to celebrate losing your first tooth than with a special pillow you can place the tooth under while you wait for the Tooth Fairy? Pick out a solid color pillowcase and let your kids decorate it with fabric paint, glitter, and markers. Help them create a pillow that focuses on your child’s interests, or their goals for the future.

For the more advanced crafter parent, you can sew your own pillows with tooth-related designs. Your child can help by sewing an outline or the edge of the pillow after it has been filled with stuffing.

Hold a Tooth Fairy treasure hunt.

After your child loses their first tooth, you might want to have them go on a treasure hunt. Have the Tooth Fairy leave a series of clues with tooth facts, and allow your child to search the house for the clues. Once the last clue has been found, that is where the Tooth Fairy’s gift can be!

Start a tooth diary.

Print out a diagram of a child’s primary teeth, and write the approximate age your child can lose those teeth on it. Have your child number each tooth they lose with the date, time, and location. Your child can also write a diary entry about how they feel or what they were doing when they lost that particular tooth. Each time your child loses a tooth, they can note on the chart which tooth it was, and can relive their experience by rereading their diary entries.

Don’t forget to visit We Make Kids Smile Pediatric Dentistry.

Along with learning about the Tooth Fairy and proper oral hygiene habits, don’t forget to bring your children in at least twice a year for a dental checkup by the team at We Make Kids Smile! We can ensure your child’s adult teeth are coming in as expected, assess for any early orthodontic intervention that may be needed, and give your child tips on how to keep their smile sparkling and healthy. Losing baby teeth is an exciting milestone, so set your child on a path of great oral health with the support of the team at We Make Kids Smile.