The Tooth Fairy, a Magical Side Hustle
After allowances and lemonade stand profits have rolled in, the cash stuffed into pockets and piggy banks, kids have always had one more way to earn an extra buck, one magical side hustle: the tooth fairy. Leave a tooth underneath your pillow, go to sleep and – poof – in the morning, money! That front tooth that was tied to a doorknob the night before is now a tiny treasure.
But who is this mysterious fairy who flutters into bedrooms, taking molars and leaving gifts? Believe it or not, she hasn’t always been the spritely, Tinkerbell look-alike we know and love. Our modern American tooth fairy, the one with glittery wings and pockets full of money, is just the latest in a long line of tooth-centric traditions. Let’s see how she’s evolved over the years.
Teeth on the High Seas
Vikings, the hearty Norse sailors dressed in furs and horned helmets, braving ocean waves and battling seaside villages, actually had a soft spot for (what else?) teeth! These brawny brawlers believed that children’s teeth brought good luck. So, when Norse children lost teeth, Vikings paid for them (money for teeth, sound familiar?). They would then wear these teeth into battle for protection and good fortune. According to this Mental Floss article, a 13th-century book of Norse poems and mythology called the Edda makes reference to a tand-fé, or “tooth fee,” a child’s reward for their first tooth coming in. So, you could say Vikings were the very first tooth fairies. Instead of the friendly sprite we have today, imagine a bearded Nordic man coming to buy your teeth. ( We’ll take the fairy!)
Medieval Superstitions
Elsewhere in Medieval Europe, superstitions about teeth abounded. Parents took great care with how they disposed of lost baby teeth because, they believed, witches could use teeth to curse or control a person. In defense, they often hid, buried, or burned lost teeth in order to protect the children. Sometimes, they would leave teeth out as an offering for rodents. Since rodents have strong teeth, they reasoned, they could exchange baby teeth not for money, but for strong adult ones. Fortunately, our modern fairy takes good care of baby teeth, and regular brushing and flossing habits provide healthy adult ones, so we don’t need to rely on mice anymore.
Magical French Mice
The rodent-tooth partnership persisted into the 17th century, most significantly in a prominent French fairytale. It’s here that we see the first inklings of our modern tooth-collecting friend. Titled La Bonne Petite Souris (The Good Little Mouse), this story follows a fairy who transforms into a mouse to defeat an evil king by hiding under his pillow and biting his ears. It’s not tooth-related, but over the years, it transformed into a popular bedtime story in which children are instructed to leave their baby teeth (and sometimes cheese) for a small, benevolent mouse.
American Fairytale Influence
Not until recent American history does our familiar fairy appear. She’d gained qualities from previous iterations – the Vikings’ tooth fee and the French under-the-pillow offering – combined with distinctly American economics and fascination with the “good fairy” character. Watch any number of early Disney movies – Cinderella, Peter Pan, Pinnochio, etc. – and you’ll find a caring, magical fairy character who, quite often, bestows gifts. Just like the Fairy Godmother comforted Cinderella in a difficult time, the tooth fairy helps children through the otherwise nerve-wracking experience of losing teeth. We see her pop up in early 19th century media too, like the 1927 playlet called “The Tooth Fairy,” and a 1908 “Household Hints” column in the Chicago Tribune.
Today’s Dental Traditions
Today, children go to bed, hide teeth under their pillows, and stay up as long as they can, just to get a glimpse of the generous fairy who brings them gifts, and the next thing they know, the sun is rising and they’re tossing pillows aside to reveal their reward. She’s a staple of growing up, a fun and generous figure, and you can even write her a letter. Our modern fairy takes centuries of traditions, myths, and bedtime stories and weaves them together, encouraging not just courage when that tooth starts to wiggle, but good oral hygiene year-round.
As you and your children become part of the tooth fairy’s story, follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Join a community that’s collectively writing the next chapter in the tooth fairy’s history.