Is the Tooth Fairy Real? The Truth Behind the Myth

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A deep dive into the Tooth Fairy mythology
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The Tooth Fairy has been around for more than a hundred years now—and myths about the magic of teeth have been around for centuries! But does the Tooth Fairy actually exist? We’ll give you the tooth, the whole tooth, and nothing but the tooth: the Tooth Fairy doesn’t exist, unfortunately! So, how do you talk to your kids about the famous mythical figure? And is it good for kids to believe in the Tooth Fairy, anyway? Keep reading for answers to all your Tooth Fairy-related questions!

Does the Tooth Fairy exist?

There’s no scientific evidence that the Tooth Fairy is real, but that doesn't mean she doesn't exist! There have been tooth-related myths for centuries, but the modern Tooth Fairy herself was likely first created by Lillian Brown in 1908, when she was mentioned in a column in the Chicago Daily Tribune .

Section 1 of 7:

Is the tooth fairy real or is it your parents?

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  1. Just because there's no scientific proof of her existence, it doesn't mean she isn't real! Even if she’s not real in a literal sense, she has certainly touched the hearts of the many children who believe in her.
    • While parents may pretend to be the Tooth Fairy to encourage their children to believe in her, some parents have reported finding money or other gifts under their kids' pillows in exchange for their baby teeth, and they weren't the ones who put it there!
    • As to whether fairies exist in general, there's also no hard evidence to suggest they do, but that doesn't mean they don't. In fact, in many cultures around the world (especially in Iceland, Norway, Ireland, and Scotland), belief in fairies and elves is taken very seriously. [1]
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Section 2 of 7:

Origins of the Modern Tooth Fairy

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  1. Though myths about teeth have abounded for centuries, the Tooth Fairy herself seems to have originated in a “Household Hints” item in the Tribune by Lillian Brown. Brown claimed that children who know about the existence of a Tooth Fairy who will take their tooth away in the night and replace it with a gift would be much more willing to lose a tooth or let it be removed . [2]
  2. 2
    Versions of the Tooth Fairy have existed for centuries. Though our modern idea of the Tooth Fairy seems to have been created in 1908, versions of the myth have long been prevalent in cultures around the world. Many of these historic depictions portray a figure (often a mouse) who buys baby teeth from children.
    • The myth of the Tooth Fairy (or tooth mice) may stem from other tooth-related myths of the Middle Ages.
    • For instance, in medieval Europe, children were required to burn their baby teeth after they fell out, or else they would spend eternity searching for their baby teeth in the afterlife. [3]
    • It was also believed that if a witch got ahold of one of your teeth, they could assume total control over you.
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Section 3 of 7:

Tooth Fairy Stories Around the World

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  1. 1
    France and Belgium France and Belgium's version of the Tooth Fairy is similar to the traditional Tooth Fairy, but it's a white rat instead, who buys children's teeth with coins. [4]
  2. 2
    Italy Italy's version of the Tooth Fairy is, usually, a mouse called Topolino, but sometimes the role is carried out by the patron saint of teeth and dentistry, Saint Apollonia, whose martyrdom involved having her teeth broken. [5]
  3. 3
    Japan In Japan and other Asian countries, children are instructed to throw lost upper teeth down to the ground, and to toss lose lower teeth up in the air. The hope is that by doing this, incoming teeth will grow straight. [6]
  4. 4
    Mali Children throw lost teeth into the chicken coup or a gourd. The next day, they receive a chicken in exchange for their teeth, rather than coins. [7]
  5. 5
    The Middle East In Middle Eastern countries including Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, and Sudan, children may toss their lost teeth up into the air to the sun as an offering. The hope is that the sun will grant them a brighter smile via a new, shiny tooth. [8]
  6. 6
    Spain and Hispanic America As early as 1894, there was El Ratoncito Pérez ( Perez the Little Mouse ), Spain and Hispanic America's equivalent to the Tooth Fairy. El Ratoncito Pérez first appeared in an 1894 tale by Luis Coloma for the 8-year-old King Alfonso XIII, who had just lost a milk tooth. [9]
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Section 4 of 7:

The Tooth Fairy in Popular Culture

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  1. In 1927, the children's playwright Esther Watkins Arnold wrote a play starring the Tooth Fairy. The fabled fee went on to figure in a number of popular movies, including 1996's Toothless starring Kirstie Alley as the Tooth Fairy, and 2010's The Tooth Fairy in which Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson takes on the role.
  2. 2
    The Tooth Fairy has also been featured on commemorative coins. In 2011 and 2012, the Royal Canadian Mint released a set of quarters depicting the Tooth Fairy. The Royal Australian Mint did something similar in 2021, when they issued a Tooth Fairy kit which included a commemorative $2 Tooth Fairy coin, in addition to a toothbrush, pen, and tooth pouch. [10]
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Section 5 of 7:

The Tooth Fairy & Child Development

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  1. 1
    Belief in the Tooth Fairy may offer children comfort. Losing a tooth can be scary for some kids, especially if they’ve never lost one before. Research suggests believing in a fairy may console a child who is afraid or in pain due to the loss of their tooth. [11]
    • Thanks to the Tooth Fairy, children who are afraid to lose a tooth or who lose a tooth in a painful manner may remember the experience less traumatically or even fondly.
  2. 2
    Believing in the Tooth Fairy may make kids take better care of their teeth. Some parents tell their children the Tooth Fairy pays more for healthy teeth, encouraging them to floss and brush regularly. The Tooth Fairy may be seen as a helpful mascot promoting a mission of proper dental hygiene. [12]
  3. 3
    It may also make children more prone to false memories. One study discovered that children who fervently believed in the Tooth Fairy were more likely to misremember their experiences and to attribute more fantasy and supernatural phenomena to them than there were. Comparatively, children who didn’t believe in the fairy recalled their memories in mainly realistic terms. [13]
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Section 6 of 7:

How do I answer my child’s questions about the Tooth Fairy?

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  1. Some children will pose questions, but they don’t want the real answer. Instead, they may want your reassurance that the Tooth Fairy does, indeed, exist. You can determine whether they want the truth in a few ways:
    • Ask a probing question back to get a sense of what they’re really asking. For instance, if they ask point-blank if the Tooth Fairy is real, say, “What do you think?” or “Why do you ask?”
    • Consider their age. If they’re still in preschool, they may have heard a rumor the Tooth Fairy isn’t real and be coming to you for reassurance to the contrary. If they’re 7, on the other hand, they may have suspicions the Tooth Fairy isn’t real and want to discuss it rationally.
    • If you determine they want to keep believing for a little longer, you can reinforce their belief with a simple, “I believe in the Tooth Fairy, don’t you?” or “Don’t you remember how she left a 5-dollar bill for your front tooth last month? Of course she’s real!”
  2. 2
    Be gentle if you tell them the truth. If you suspect your child wants a real answer to their questions, try to be empathetic. Even if they’re having doubts, it can still be devastating for them to hear once and for all that the Tooth Fairy doesn’t exist, and that their parents have been pretending the whole time . [14]
    • Try something like, “Greta, we’re so sorry to tell you this, but the Tooth Fairy has been Mom and me this whole time. I know this might be sad for you to hear.”
    • Explain your reasoning behind the charade. Consider sharing your own childhood experiences believing in the Tooth Fairy and remind them how much fun it was to hide their tooth and find a gift the next morning.
    • Know that your child is unlikely to be traumatized by the slow realization that the Tooth Fairy isn't real. They may be more likely to be devastated if told outright, without asking. [15]
  3. 3
    Accept their response. Your child may respond in any number of ways to finding out the Tooth Fairy isn’t real. They may laugh at the absurdity of the situation, get mad at you for misleading them, or become upset and cry, sensing they’ve lost something important. Or they might not respond right away at all and need time to think it over. Try to be receptive to their response no matter what it is.
    • If your child has put the evidence together that the Tooth Fairy isn't real themselves, they may feel a sense of triumph that they've figured it out. Discovering that childhood mythological figures are pretend is a big part of childhood development on its own! [16]
    • Remember that just because the truth is out doesn’t mean the magic has to totally die. They’ll likely still appreciate getting a gift in exchange for their teeth, and if they have younger siblings, you may want to ask them not to spoil the truth!
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Section 7 of 7:

How long do kids believe in the Tooth Fairy?

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  1. One study that interviewed children found that they mostly stopped believing in the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus when they got to the age of 5 or so. This may be because it’s around that age that kids gain the cognitive ability to question the “evidence” their parents give them of these mythical characters’ existence. [17]
    • However, it may also be that parents simply stop trying as hard to maintain the illusion of the Tooth Fairy once their kids reach the age of 5 or 6, making it easier for the kids to figure out the truth.
    • Curiously, adults interviewed for the same study reported believing in the Tooth Fairy and Santa for longer—until they were almost 9 years old. (But it’s possible they wanted to believe they believed for longer than they really did.)

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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.livescience.com/25413-fairies.html
      2. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20160601225019im_/https://img0.newspapers.com/img/img?id=28787156&width=557&height=437&crop=2517_1050_2254_1801&rotation=0&brightness=0&contrast=0&invert=0&ts=1460115246&h=f6a60fdd1e30737112f8cf3ca2b30c64
      3. ↑ https://stowawaymag-archive.byu.edu/2016/10/03/toothy-traditions/
      4. ↑ https://thegoodlifefrance.com/tooth-fairy-france-mouse/
      5. ↑ https://europeisnotdead.com/european-tooth-fairies/
      6. ↑ https://dentistry.uky.edu/patient-care/tooth-fairies-around-world
      7. ↑ https://doors2world.umass.edu/book/i-lost-my-tooth-africa
      8. ↑ https://stowawaymag-archive.byu.edu/2016/10/03/toothy-traditions/
      9. ↑ https://stowawaymag-archive.byu.edu/2016/10/03/toothy-traditions/
      1. ↑ https://eshop.ramint.gov.au/2024-tooth-fairy-kit
      2. ↑ https://jagwire.augusta.edu/dental-resident-shares-experience-with-the-tooth-fairy/
      3. ↑ https://jagwire.augusta.edu/dental-resident-shares-experience-with-the-tooth-fairy/
      4. ↑ https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/acp.1402
      5. ↑ https://www.popsci.com/how-to-talk-to-your-kids-about-santa-claus/
      6. ↑ https://www.ithaca.edu/news/what-should-you-tell-your-children-about-santa
      7. ↑ https://news.utexas.edu/2020/01/06/is-believing-in-santa-bad-or-good-for-kids/
      8. ↑ https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2009/12/your_brain_on_santa_claus_the.html/

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