Remember losing your first baby tooth? Was it exciting or stressful? Losing teeth can be both thrilling and traumatic for kids and parents. For kids it can feel strange or painful, and for adults it can signify that the wee ones are growing up too fast. That might be the original reason behind the tooth fairy—to give the kids a little reward to make an uncomfortable experience exciting! Instead, why not try out a quirky tooth-loss ritual from another culture? You could start a unique family tradition!
Throwing Teeth
Many cultures have traditions that revolve around throwing baby teeth. In Botswana, children throw their teeth onto the roof and ask the moon to bless them with new, stronger pearly-whites. Japanese kids throw teeth that have fallen from their lower jaw on the roof, and teeth from their upper jaw under their house or at the foot of their bed. The idea here is that the new teeth will be pulled towards the old teeth! Kids in Egypt throw their teeth at the sun, in the hope that the sun will trade their old teeth for some that are stronger and make their smile brighter.
The Tooth Mouse
The idea of the tooth mouse is almost as widespread as our traditional fairy. In France, kids place their lost teeth under their pillow, and le petit souris, a little mouse, will take the tooth during the night and replace it with money or a small gift. Argentinean kids will place a baby tooth in a glass of water beside the bed, hoping that el ratoncito, a little mouse, will drink the water and take the tooth!
The Thieving Calf
Jamaican children are led to believe that calves want to steal their baby teeth! In order to ward off these thieving calves, the children of Jamaica put their lost teeth in a jar and shake it to scare off the calf!
The Key To Your Future
In Turkey, teeth are thought to hold the key to your future. If a child wants to be a professional soccer player, then they bury their lost baby tooth by a soccer field. If they want to be a teacher, they bury the tooth in a school.
Instead of perpetuating the tooth fairy myth, adopt one of these funky customs! The Japanese idea of old teeth pulling the new teeth into place may help your little ones have confidence that their adult teeth are coming. The French little mouse is great for your wee animal lovers, and the Turkish "key to the future" story is a nice way to get your children to talk about their goals for the future at a young age.
For information about keeping your kid's teeth healthy—before and after they lose their baby teeth—contact a specialist like Pakington Dental Care.
Share28 January 2015
When I had my first child, I was a nervous wreck. Every book I read gave different advice, and I just wanted to be right! By the time I had my third child, some of the stress had abated. I now realised, there were tons of different perspectives on everything related to raising children including dentistry. To help parents, I have created this blog dedicated to unraveling dental myths about children. I am including posts that weigh both sides of issues such as thumb sucking, dental caries, breastfeeding, flossing and any other topic I can think of. I hope you find the information you need to unravel dental myths, but most importantly, I hope you find some peace of mind. With kids and dentistry, there can be more than one right answer, and I want you to be able to relax and go with the answer that's right for you.
