Dental Health Month - how losing a baby tooth is celebrated around the globe
16 August 2022
Teeth are so important, they get their own fairy!
In light of Dental Health Month, for the curious, we thought we would share with you how losing a baby tooth is celebrated around the globe.
Many folk cultures marked the loss of a child’s baby or milk teeth. We have our very own tooth fairy custom in Australia that makes losing our baby teeth financially beneficial. Some cultures placed the tooth in a tree or threw it to the sun. Other rituals involved having an adult swallow the tooth or burn it. Even the Vikings had their own ritual called “tooth fee” whereby a small gift was given to a child when its first tooth appeared.
Traditions from around the world:
Argentina – Children in Argentina put their tooth in a glass of water. During the night El Ratoncito, a little mouse, will drink the water, take the tooth, and then leave some coins or candy in the empty glass.
Austria – If the little tooth isn’t turned into a pendant or a key ring, it is thrown. Upper teeth are thrown under the house and lower teeth are tossed over the roof.
Egypt – Egyptian children wrap their teeth in a tissue and take it outside. They throw their tooth at the sun, asking the son to take their buffalo tooth and give them a bride’s tooth. This is similar to most children in middle-eastern countries, who throw their tooth at the sun, hoping that it will give them back a tooth to make their smile brighter!
England – In the Middle Ages, children were told to toss their teeth into a fire. It was believed that if the tooth were destroyed in fire the tooth could not be captured by a witch, who could then burn it and steal power from the child. These days, the Brits rely on the Tooth Fairy to snatch the tooth from under a pillow, leaving money behind.
Europe – Years ago it was common practice for Europeans to bury baby teeth in the ground so that a permanent tooth would grow back in its place. In later years, especially those who didn’t have vast land at their disposal, baby teeth were buried in flowerpots. Eventually, even Europeans gave into the practice of the Tooth Fairy, who left money in place of the teeth.
France – The French Tooth Fairy takes tiny teeth from under pillows, but she leaves toys instead of money behind.
Indonesia – Indonesian children throw their tooth backwards over their shoulder and over the roof of their house. If they throw the tooth straight, their permanent tooth will grow in straight. If they throw it crooked, they will have crooked teeth.
Japan, Korea and Vietnam – Like the Austrians, the Japanese, Koreans and Vietnamese toss the upper teeth under the house and the lower ones over the house. This gesture is to promote healthy growth downward of top teeth and upward of lower teeth.
Malaysia – Malaysian kids bury their lost baby tooth in the ground. They believe that since the tooth was part of their body, it should be returned to the earth.
Mexico and Spain – In Mexican tradition, the Tooth Fairy is a mouse. The little mouse called El Ratoncito Perez creeps under pillows and leaves money in exchange for the baby tooth.
El Ratoncito perez
Mongolia – Dogs are considered guardian angels in Mongolia. To ensure the growth of a healthy permanent tooth following the loss of a baby tooth, that baby tooth is stuffed into meat fat and fed to a dog.
Nigeria – Children in Nigeria have an interesting tradition. If you’re a boy, you hold your tooth and eight stones in your fist. Girls hold six stones and their tooth in their fist. The child then closes their eyes, states their name, and counts to the number in the fist. They then say, “Oh, I want my tooth back!” Next, they throw everything in their fist up in the air and run away as fast as they can.
Pakistan – Kids in Pakistan wrap their lost tooth in cotton then throw their tooth in a nearby river at sunset for good luck.
Philippines – Children in the Philippines hide their lost tooth and make a wish. If they are able to find their teeth after one year, then they can make another wish.
Slovenia – Much like the Mexicans, a mouse visits children while they sleep. But this one replaces the baby tooth with candy.
Tajikistan – Children in Tajikistan plant their teeth in the ground, hoping that the tooth will grow into a warrior.
Turkey – The parents of children in Turkey believe that their child’s lost tooth holds within it their future. If they want their child to become a great soccer player, they will bury the tooth in a soccer field. If they wanted their child to go to dental school (what kind of parent would?!) then they would bury the child’s tooth around a dental school.
United Kingdom – When a child loses a baby tooth, he puts the tooth under his pillow. In the morning he finds that his tooth has mysteriously turned into a coin!
United States – The practice of placing the baby tooth under the child’s pillow for the Tooth Fairy to pick up and leave money behind dates back more than a hundred years. Some say the fairy evolved form the tooth mouse, depicted in an 18th Century fairy tale, “La Bonne Petite Souris,” in which a mouse turns into a fairy to help a good queen defeat a mean king by hiding under his pillow and knocking all his teeth.
Sources:
www.alloy.com/well-being/lost-tooth-customs-from-around-the-world
